The Storm Trilogy: A Shadow's Vengeance
by William Sable
Summary: Equestria is advancing into a new era. The age of industry and intrigue has dawned, leaving the nation in a chaotic state. A new power has risen, threatening to claim the land and bring about a reign of terror and oppression. The only thing stopping them is a forsaken hero; a disgraced Wonderbolt who must sacrifice everything to save the nation that betrayed him.
1. Author's Notes and Chapter 1: Heist

**Author's Notes**

Hi there,

My name is William Sable. If you're reading this and have yet to read the first to installments, I'd suggest doing so. You won't have any idea what is going on unless you read the first two (and please, do give them a try).

For those returning to Shadow's grim tale, this novel will be equally as dark as the last two (possibly darker?) and full of suspenseful espionage action. So sort of like a mash up of Jason Bourne and Ponies (not that I could ever write anything as good as the former).

Also, feel free to send me any OCs or character ideas you have. I've already had a few from you guys that are awesome, and even if I don't use them, it's great to know that someone actually notices my existence. If you're sending in an OC, just include their name, gender, type (Unicorn, Pegasus, Earth), and any details they have. I do reserve the right to edit them, and I doubt I will use any alicorns. Sorry alicorn lovers.

If you found the story at least somewhat amusing, please do leave a review. Or if you hated it, tell me why so I can try to fix it. In all honesty, reviews are what keep me going. They remind me that someone is watching and that I need to get my flank in gear and get writing. So anyway, enough from me. Onto the story!

Thanks,

_William Sable_

* * *

**Chapter 1: Heist**

'Thirty seconds…' he thought, 'Thirty seconds is all I need.'

He'd trained for this. Basic training had strengthened his muscles and his Wonderbolt training had prepared him for operations just like this.

'Move like you've got a purpose…'

Shadow Storm repeated this in his mind. His muscles were strained, but he knew that the slightest slip would hurt like hay, and probably kill him.

Creeping slowly, Shadow began to pull his way towards the edge. Hanging upside down under a speeding train was one thing, but doing it at night with no light or safety cables was a whole new ball game.

'Left, right… left… righttt…'

Shadow could feel every fibre of his muscles crying out in protest.

'Left… Light...'

Light! Light flooded Shadow's eyes. The moon seemed to shine as brightly as the sun from his position. Throwing his hoof upward, Shadow slowly began to pull himself up onto the car above. Quiet as a mouse, Storm pulled each limb over the edge of caboose. As he finally struggled onto the floor, Shadow dared to let out a sigh.

As he lay there, still as a frightened rabbit, Shadow observed the inside of the caboose to the best of his ability. He spotted what he wanted on the left side of the car.

Slinking up to his feet silently, the dark Pegasus moved quickly, taking a stand beside the doorway. Trying the handle, Storm cringed.

'Locked.'

With a quick decision, Storm moved away from the door and turned around, smashing it with all his force. An explosion of woodchips entered the car. A candle above the opposite door danced as a gust of wind blasted through the door. Acting as fast as possible, Shadow moved to the shelves that lined both walls.

The click-clack of the wheels below his hooves acted as a countdown. Storm grabbed anything that he could wear or that he could strap to himself. As the sound of thudding hooves became apparent, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the one piece of kit he had brought. With a click and fizzle, he dropped it on the ground.

The sound of hooves was now deafening. Storm sprinted out the way he came, leaping and grabbing the roof with his hoof. Whipping around and landing with a smash, Storm bolted forward, leaping two cars ahead of the caboose. As he landed, he rolled and covered his head, waiting.

'Tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick,'

_BOOM!_

Shadow could feel the entire train rock with shock. The heat of flaming debris was unmistakable as Storm slowly lifted his neck up. He waited a few seconds before glancing behind himself.

An orange cloud of flame cascading across his view, as the caboose's structure slowly crumbled apart. Not wasting any more time, Shadow began racing across the top of the train, leaping over the gaps between cars.

'There it is!'

Shadow could now see they were rapidly approaching a bridge that led across a large ravine. Flaring his wings out, Shadow took a step toward the edge of the train.

'Fifteen seconds… maybe twenty…'

Leaning back, he began to tighten all the straps that were now tangled around him. With a final tug on the largest strap, he glanced to his right and the back of the train. Three unicorns in battle dress were approaching quickly. Shadow grinned sinisterly as they crouched down in preparation to fire at Storm.

With one slick movement, Storm catapulted himself off the train, beating his wings as fast as possible. His timing was a little too late for his own comfort. Storm finally came to a stop after sliding a few feet, right at the edge of the ravine.

A rain of fireballs landed about Shadow. Turning around, he bolted off into the desert like a spooked deer, leaping between the various desert plants and cacti that dominated the landscape. The hail of fire stopped as the train and Shadow gained distance in opposite directions.

Shadow kept up his pace, slowing down only a bit. The desert was far too dangerous at night. Normally he could fly, but with all this loot he would have to hoof it. Moving as quickly as possible, Storm skulked across the desert, eventually finding his way to a familiar cave. He could see a dim orange light being emitted from the cave opening.

As he made it to the entrance, Storm slowed down and took one last look behind him, before diving into the small cave. After crawling through a dim lit passage for a few seconds, Storm found himself in a large room-like structure. His campfire was still burning hot as Storm yanked all his gear off.

Tossing a piece of desert bush into the fire, Storm flopped down next to it. Dragging the pile of newfound gear closer, Storm settled in with a cough. The night was particularly cold.

Pulling a large piece of kit out of the pile of gadgets, Shadow began examining it in the light of the fire.

"Crossbow," he stated to himself, "17 inch bolt, and high tension string. Enhanced optics, nice touch."

Setting the metal contraption aside on his right, Shadow grasped the next piece of kit with a sigh. He placed it in front of himself with a grin, sniffing as the cold desert air filled his lungs.

"Night vision optics of some sort…"

Pulling the contraption over his head, Shadow pulled the strap away from his head, and then let it snap back. As he pushed the button on the side, he heard a quiet squeal as the mechanics warmed up.

"Interesting… three lenses… one smaller one for amplification of light. Unique design feature."

After looking around through the goggles, Shadow quickly tore them off and dumped them beside the crossbow. Standing up, Storm moved to the nearby sleeping bag that lay on the ground. With a heavy sigh, Storm flopped down onto the sleeping bag, staring blankly at the campfire.

"What I wouldn't give for one more moment… one last look…"

As Storm lay there he could feel his fatigue slowly taking hold.

"One last glorious breath… one last touch…"

Shadow felt his eyelids closing quickly.

"One last kiss…"


	2. Chapter 2: A New World

**Chapter 2: A New World**

"I presume you have good news…"

Agent Moris felt himself trembling. His knees were weak as he stood there.

"No… no comiss-… director."

"Ah, of course. What have you done now?"

Moris hated being the messenger before, but now with his promotion, he had to be the one to deal with Director Silverhoof first hoof, which was beyond terrifying. Moris wasn't the tastiest cupcake on the plate, but he was smart enough to see past all the black ink and cover-ups.

"Well sir, you were aware that the military convoy from Tango Sierra Zero was on its way last night, correct?"

"Get on with it… what's the damage?"

"A caboose sir."

"A caboose?"

"A caboose."

Moris watched Silverhoof slowly turn around. The entire time he had been here, the director had been staring out through the massive window that adorned his purple office.

"A caboose does not sound like much damage," Silverhoof commented, adding, "I worked with Captain Storm, he's thorough. What else is destroyed…?"

"Well sir… er… you see…"

"Spit it out."

Moris cringed, averting his eyes from Silverhoof. He glanced around the office looking for something to lock his gaze to, to no avail. It was so sparsely decorated that the only thing to look at was the grey desk, the door, or down at the red carpet. Moris chose the carpet.

"The caboose was transporting a load of high value cargo. Gadgets from Sierra Zero. A lot of it is… expensive. Most of it was destroyed beyond repair. Investigators are saying a dynamite charge."

Silverhoof sighed, and moved back toward the window, shaking his head.

"Well, this doesn't affect us all too much. What's the quote?"

"Six million bits, sir."

"Transfer some funds from Sierra Seven and Two to Sierra Zero. Get everything back."

With that, Silverhoof motioned with his hoof for Moris to leave.

"There is another thing, sir…"

Moris shuffled uneasily. Silverhoof narrowed his eyes and stared intensely at Moris. Slicking his black mane back, Silverhoof took a single step toward Moris.

"What?" he simply asked.

"Not all of the gear is accounted for. While it may just be due to heavy dam-"

"To the point, Agent!" Silverhoof shouted in annoyance.

With a slight squeak, Moris blurted out, "We believe that Shadow Storm may be in possession of highly valuable and deadly experimental technology developed by Sierra Zero, and will now have a major advantage over all of our field agents as he is packing superior kit."

Panting heavily, Moris took a step away from Silverhoof, shirking down toward the floor. He slowly made his way toward the door, legs quaking. Silverhoof remained there, staring out the window once again. Even facing away from him, Moris could tell Silverhoof was enraged. He stood stone still, every muscle contracted to the maximum.

Silently, Agent Moris slipped out. As he shut the brown door behind him, he moved quickly. He did not want to be anywhere near this office for the remainder of the day.

* * *

"Lieutenant?"

"Yes sir!"

That response; it had been a bit awkward when she first joined, but now it was second nature.

"Are you ready to get this over with?" the officer sighed, cracking his neck as he twisted his head to the side.

"Yes sir!"

Nodding to the legion general next to him, the blue uniformed air force General began, "First Lieutenant Rainbow Dash; after extensive research, investigation and review of evidence, we have found no connection between you and Captain Storm's actions. Do you understand?"

"Yes sir!" she replied again.

Observing her for a moment, the general cleared his throat, "We have also found no traces between the members of your squadron and Storm."

Flipping the page of the folder in front of him, the general paused once again.

"As a result, you are hereby appointed Acting Captain of Wonderbolts Bravo. You will remain at this post until you should prove yourself worthy of a promotion, or we reassign another officer to take control of the squadron. Do I make myself clear?"

Swallowing heavily, Rainbow responded with a quiet, "Yes sir."

"Alrighty!" the Legion general commented, standing up with a groan, "We're done here?"

Shaking his head at his fellow officer, the RAF general leaned forward, looking at Dash.

"Dismissed."

With a hoof stomp, and a stiff salute, Rainbow marched out as quickly as possible. She'd seen the inside of the Canterlot Military Courthouse once or twice in a newspaper, but the sterile environment made her feel awkward and out of place. There was barely a sound around the entire building.

As she opened the front door, light flooded her eyes. Canterlot was beautiful as always, but her tired, melancholy eyes couldn't see it.

'A week…' She thought, 'a week is all it takes for the world to forget…'

Everypony was now back to their usual business. The usual mob of pompous Canterlotians strutted down the street, mixed with the other usual mob of tourists and globetrotters. As Rainbow ebbed through the crowd, she pulled the net that held her mane back out forcefully, nearly ripping her own mane out. Her multicoloured hair flowed down onto her shoulders slowly, as the wind held it slightly aloft.

'Now what?'

The question had just occurred to her. Just a few weeks ago, she knew where life was headed. Now, she was lost in time; directionless and with not a notion of what to do.

Sighing, she wandered further down the street. Unlike most occasions, she didn't feel awkward wearing clothes. She no longer felt anything really.

'Now what?!' she questioned herself angrily, picking up her pace.

The sound of her own hooves thundered as she trotted up the stairs into Canterlot Castle. Soon, she was marching speedily through the gardens, aimless and goalless.

"Now what?" she asked herself aloud, frowning heavily as she came to a stop at a nearby pond.

She stared at the face staring back at her. It was different. Changed.

"Now what?!" Rainbow shouted angrily, throwing a hoof into the water.

The reflection disappeared in a storm of ripples, as water splashed to and fro. The spectacle was quite sad, as Rainbow sat down, and watched the ripples slowly dissipate, sobbing quietly to herself.

"Rainbow Dash… you alright?"

Under normal circumstances, she would have turned to address her friend, especially when her presence was unexpected and out of place. But these were special circumstances. She remained where she was, unmoving.

"Rainbow?" she asked again, moving closer to her quickly.

Dash remained motionless. She didn't have the strength to look at her friend.

"Rainbow Dash, answer me!"

She felt a hoof slip around her head, twisting it to the side. A purple unicorn came into view, her brow furled with annoyance. Swallowing heavily, Dash tried to remain calm and collected. It didn't work.

As Rainbow slowly lost control of her emotions, the stern look on Twilight Sparkle's face faded. This was odd.

"What is it?"

Rainbow sniffed, holding back tears as much as possible, "You didn't hear?"

"About what?" Twilight asked, mustering as much friendless as possible.

Dash didn't have the heart to tell her, all she could do was let out a sob with the faint outline of a word:

"Shadow…"


	3. Chapter 3: The Forsaken Hero

**Author's Note**

****Hey guys,

William here. I just wanted to pose a question (again) to the general public:

Seeing as this is the last Shadow Storm story, I'm going to be having it end very much like the finales do. The issue with this is songs. To be specific, songs in text.

Songs can be out of place in writing, and if they're too long, I find it really disrupts the flow of the story. On the other hand, it'll make the fiction feel more like the source material.

So what do you think? Songs or no songs?

Thanks,

_William Sable_

* * *

**Chapter 3: The Forsaken Hero**

"Shadow…"

The figure didn't respond. He had no clue who this figure was, standing in the doorway as the heavy sandstorm dragged its long dark cape into the air.

"Shadow?" he asked again, shielding his eyes from the dust and sunlight.

"Fire," was the response this time.

Fire Storm watched the silhouette move into view, as he entered the house, slamming the door behind him. It was definitely a pony, wearing a dark black hood and cloak, with a black bandana over his face. The only thing that he could see under the hood was his eyes.

His bright green eyes.

Smiling, Fire threw himself forward, wrapping his arms around Shadow. The moment he saw his eyes, he knew it was him.

Laughing quietly, Shadow embraced Fire happily for a few seconds, before retreating a couple steps. Gently, Shadow pulled the bandana down around his neck.

"What are you doing here? Last I heard, you had started a new Wonderbolt Squadron!" Fire asked happily, shouting in his excitement.

Sighing, Shadow shook his head and lifted a hoof to his face, indicating for Fire to calm down and quiet down.

"What?" Fire asked quietly, frowning.

Shadow coughed before stating, "That's in the past Fire."

"What do you mean?" his brother asked, moving back slightly.

"I've been deceived Fire. We all have. The Secret Service… they… they betrayed me…"

Fire took a step backward warily. His brother looked slightly unstable and a bit demented in his cloak.

"I was framed Fire. You have to believe me!" Shadow stated angrily, moving toward the red Pegasus opposite the room.

Fire Storm scanned Shadow with his eyes for several seconds.

"I believe you Shadow. Now tell me what the buck is going on."

After leading following his brother to a nearby table, Shadow sat down.

For the next hour, he explained what had happened to him. He explained Silverhoof's betrayal, the board of directors and all that he knew.

"After arriving at the cave, I did a quick inventory of my gear, got some rest, and headed here. I was lucky enough to stay ahead of the sandstorm, at least until I was at the outskirts of the town."

Fire slowly nodded, processing the long account Shadow had just dictated.

"And you came here becaaause?"

Shadow sighed, looking down at the floor, "Because I needed to see someone I can trust. And we both know I can't go see Ice. Too high-profile and she still hasn't forgiven me… And don't get me started on Mom…"

"Yeah," Fire agreed, "You've kind of alienated us all, Shadow."

Shadow nodded. He knew he had, but they hadn't helped the situation either. Silence gathered as the two sat alone, the wind whistling heavily outside the building.

"So what now?" Fire asked after a few minutes.

"Now? Not sure. I need to figure out why this all happened. What the connection is…" Shadow answered, trailing off.

With a grin, Fire stood up, leaving the room for a moment. He returned with a large corkboard on wheels.

"What's this?" Shadow asked, standing up quickly.

Turning to glance back at Shadow, Fire responded, "I usually use this for posting my research and gathering my thoughts on archaeological evidence. Now, we're using it to solve your mystery."

Shadow returned his brother's smile.

'Good old Fire…'

* * *

"So Silverhoof is the major player…" Fire stated, taking a step away from the corkboard.

The entire board was now covered in notes, names and sketches.

"Yeah, but now I need to figure out what he's up to," Shadow added, rubbing his chin with his hoof.

"What do you know about him?" Fire questioned slowly, looking at Shadow.

"Well, not much. He used to be a commissioner in the ESS, now he's the director. His personnel are all pretty loyal. Security is tight, and he's most likely tracking me down as we speak. I wouldn't doubt he'll try and assassinate me like the other directors."

"Silverhoof…" Fire repeated, mumbling, "He's the key."

Shadow felt a massive flood of thoughts and deductions flood into his mind. That was it.

"That's it!" Shadow proclaimed excitedly, "Silverhoof is the key. If I find out more about him and his past, I might just find out a bit of his plan on the way, or be able to deduce what his plan is from his previous actions. Hot damn Fire, you're a genius!"

Moving swiftly, Shadow pulled his cloak up over his head.

"Thanks I guess…" Fire stated quietly, confused, "Where are you going?"

"Fire, as much as I would absolutely love to stay and chat, I have a nation to save," Shadow answered, grinning from underneath his hood, "You've got my brain on a roll Fire. I knew I could count on you."

With that, Shadow whipped the front door open, letting in a blast of sand. Fire shirked back, shielding his eyes. As he peered over his hoof, he watched the door close with a loud crash.

Drawing his bandana over his face once again, Shadow pressed forward through the dark sandy abyss that wrapped around the town. He knew the streets surprisingly well, considering how long ago he was last here.

'Wait… no… it was only a few months ago… it feels like forever…'

Shadow watched the silhouettes of buildings shrouded in sand, passing by slowly as he marched. Up ahead he spied the train station. He crossed the long street within a minute, moving swiftly. As he entered, and the wind relented, Shadow felt his cloak drop slowly onto his back.

The inside of the station was small, with three ticket vendor stalls and six benches, and a large "Appaloosa" sign on one wall. Only one other pony was in the station, which just so happened to be the only ticket vendor on duty.

Shadow eyed the ticket vendor, as the ticket vendor eyed him. As Shadow took a stand in front of the vendor's stall, he watched the ticketpony take a step forward uneasily.

"Can I help you sir?" he asked nervously, not making eye contact.

Pulling the bandana back down under his chin, Shadow smirked.

"One-way ticket to Canterlot."


	4. Chapter 4: Rebuilding the Foundation

**Chapter 4: Rebuilding the Foundation**

"I can't believe we we're gone for the whole trial!"

"I can't believe the Captain was guilty!"

Dash sighed and shouted, "Attention!"

She watched her squadronmates snap to attention. They were now once again united, or as close as they could get.

"Alright, settle down. Shadow isn't guilty and we all know it. Let's just stop talking about it and move on."

Walker, whom was the only pegasus standing out of line beside Dash, quickly clarified, "What the Lieutenant means to say is that we shouldn't let his sacrifice be in vain. Even if he was guilty, this squadron isn't, and we need to maintain a firm foundation."

A single hoof stomped. Dash turned her head and saw Chaser standing at the end of the line, with his right hoof forward.

"Yes, Lieutenant?" Rainbow asked, groaning.

"How can we maintain a firm foundation? Shadow was ours. Let's face it; none of us really know what we're doing."

Rainbow frowned, and retorted, "Then we'll learn. We'll adapt. We're the Wonderbolts damn it, and we don't back down. Am I clear?"

"Yes ma'am!"

The frown quickly faded off Dash's face. The feeling of command was quite thrilling, and she'd been in charge more than a few times, but his was different. This was a lot more fulfilling.

"Alright, so report on your mission to Ponyville, Twister."

"Ma'am," Twister shouted, taking a pace forward out of line, "After reviewing her flight skills, we found the dossier to be incorrect, and her ineligible for the squadron."

"Gee, what a surprise," Dash remarked, shaking her head, ordering, "As you were."

Twister took a step back into formation.

"Now, we have a _lot_ of air shows, as you can guess. Twister, Chaser, Berry. You three are going to Trottingham to perform this weekend. Do the usual routine. Feather, you're with me and Walker in Cloudsdale in three weeks. Any questions?"

Silence.

"Good. Dismissed."

With a stomp, the four pegasi in front of Dash filed out of the room. Although he was no longer here, Shadow's quarters were still acting as their rendezvous for the time being.

"Sir!"

Dash turned to see Walker saluting towards the doorway. Rainbow turned and followed suit as a familiar figure, clad in navy blue moved through the door.

"Lieutenant, Acting Captain," acknowledged Soarin', returning their salute, "How goes it?"

"Fine sir," Rainbow answered, mustering a small smile.

"Ah. Spitfire sent me to check on you. You feeling alright Dash?"

"Yes sir. As long as I keep my mind in the zone and keep working, I'll be fine."

"You're sure?"

Soarin' took a step backward toward the door, in anticipation of leaving.

"Yes sir," Dash answered.

"Good. Keep up the good work."

With that, Soarin' exited quickly. Walker followed after a few seconds, leaving Rainbow alone. Nervously, she moved out onto the balcony. It was virtually the same as the one at her quarters…

Dash felt herself overcome once again with emotion, stumbling back as the memory of that fateful night flooded her brain.

'Keep focused. You have everything you've dreamed of!' Rainbow thought, shouting at herself in her head.

As she moved back into Shadow's old quarters, closing the balcony door behind her, she was fully aware that her mental pep-talk had failed. Exiting as fast as possible, Rainbow made her way down the great stairs of Canterlot hall.

The room was cold, oddly cold. Stopping in the midst of the hall, Rainbow took a deep breath. Breathing out, she felt herself calming down slightly. She was just about composed when a familiar figure made its way across the hall in front of her. The black maned pony was unmistakable.

"Silverhoof…" Dash muttered, frowning.

As he walked, Rainbow swore he grinned at her.

In fact, Silverhoof had grinned at her. As he pushed the door in front of him open, entering a side corridor, he chuckled slightly to himself. Life had been starting to go his way now. The only thing standing in the way of his plan was Storm. One single colt against an army.

"Sir!"

Silverhoof nodded at the dark suited agent that trotted to catch up with him.

"Project Mist is finished with testing. They've produced a good final result that has enough force to perform the objective," the agent stated quietly, slowing down alongside the director.

"Good, what about phase two?"

"40% agent deployment sir. But we just had a discovery at Sierra Zero that could change everything."

"Good. I want a whole report on my desk within the hour. What's the status on Spectre?"

"All newspaper records are gone. We're in the process of containing witnesses, family, friends, etcetera. We also have a containment team prepping to deal with the EIB."

"Excellent. Tighten security a bit more. Everything will go smoothly if Storm is kept away."


	5. Chapter 5: The Investigation Begins

**Author's Note**

Hey guys, William here. Sorry about not posting for a while. Expect things to be slow for the next few weeks. I've got a lot of schoolwork coming up, I have a bunch of Christmas shopping to do, and a whole bunch of cadet events, so my weeks and weekends are booked full.

Also thanks for all the support. I'm gonna try my hardest to get a move on during the Christmas break to get writing.

Thanks,

_William Sable_

* * *

**Chapter 5: The Investigation Begins**

The night air was cold, but he didn't notice.

Canterlot had fallen silent as the night had grown older. Now, only a select few nightwalkers remained in the streets, alongside a large presence of guards.

As the wind whipped through his cloak, Shadow surveyed the area around him. He could see the entire city around him, expanding before his eyes as he stood atop one of the old watchtowers that dotted the city's skyline.

He moved forward, the wind whistling through his mane and ears. Taking a deep breath, Storm closed his eyes for a moment, visualizing his flight path and target. Breathing out slowly, Shadow opened his eyes again, and took the plunge.

Leaping off the edge of the tower, Shadow felt the ground racing toward him. Beating his wings heavily to compensate for his gear and bulky cloak, Storm raced forward across the skyline of Canterlot, remaining just above the rooftops to avoid detection by RAF patrols.

Pulling a wide turn around the city, he swiftly spiraled upwards toward the upper ward. His target was in sight. With a quick swoop downward, Shadow landed on the roof with a thud.

Not wasting any time, Shadow stalked along the rooftops of the Equestrian Information Bureau. As he moved toward a large tube-like section of the building, Shadow glanced inside. The skylights opened into a large, spacious hallway.

'No one's home…' Storm thought.

His theory was quickly proven wrong, as quiet, muffled sound erupted from inside. Stopping at the edge of one of the skylights, Shadow glanced inside again.

Four ponies were now walking down the hall. One in a grey lab coat, the others all clad in dark black suits.

"Buck," Storm whispered to himself, dashing across the skylight.

Moving rapidly, Shadow almost ran into a wall, as the centre of the building rose sharply in front of him. Jumping from rooftop to window sill, to brick outcropping, Shadow ascended the obstacle, climbing onto the highest point of the building.

Below him, a large square hall expanded. A single, large skylight dominated most of the roof, with four domes donning each side of the roof.

Taking a deep breath once again, Shadow heard another muffled sound and watched as the four ponies continued into the hall, with the three black suited ponies moving forward. The entire hall was lined with filing cabinets and book cases. This was obviously the main storage area.

Pulling his muscles back, Storm prepared himself for his next move. Letting the air out of his lungs, Shadow leapt skyward.

Taking a single wing beat, Storm gained a small amount of altitude before reversing his direction. Forcing all his might into once single blast of wingpower, Shadow smashed directly into the skylight, crashing through hooves first.

Landing with a heavy thud, Shadow heard the rain of glass around him. Shielding his eyes by keep his head looking downward, Shadow waited a moment. As the sound dissipated slightly, he whipped his face horizontal, scanning the environment.

The grey suited pony was now cowering in fear, but the other three, which Shadow had already assumed were ESS agents, were now in a combat stance.

The closest charged directly at Shadow. Storm made short work of him by dodging the side and slamming his rear hooves out as the agent ran by, catapulting him across the room into a column. The others attempted the same attack, only to be met with similar counterattacks and similar results.

By the time Storm had finished with the third agent, the first was up again, charging back in for a second round. This time he turned to body slam Storm. With a sigh of annoyance, Shadow evaded the attack by leaping over his adversary with a wing assisted jump. As his enemy stumbled to a stop, Shadow moved in for the knockout, taking flight and smashing into the ESS agent full force. The result was the agent being thrown yet again, this time much harsher. He landed against a filing cabinet head first.

Storm cringed as he watched the affair. Glancing around the room, he noted that the other two weren't moving.

"Guess they're not coming back for seconds," Shadow stated, motioning for the civilian to come closer, "I'm not your enemy. No harm will come to you."

Timidly, the unicorn moved toward him. Now close enough to observe her directly, Shadow watched her white face fill with fear as she surveyed him.

Shadow grinned calmly, stating, "You can report me to the police later, right now, I need to find the ESS section."

The unicorn blinked in confusion.

"Equestrian Secret Service," Shadow clarified.

"Oh…" she mumbled, still visibly terrified.

Moving quickly, she led Storm to an aisle of filing cabinets, marked on each side with the black letters "E.S.S."

Nodding to her courteously, Shadow wasted no more time, ripping the file cabinets open. After a few minutes of pulling files out, Storm had amassed a large collection of folders. Jamming them in his saddlebag, Shadow moved once again into the middle of the hall. Glancing up through the window, Storm noted the height of the building.

With a strong wing beat, Shadow launched himself in the air, rocketing back to the middle of the hall and back up through the hole in the window. Somersaulting in the air, he brought himself to a complete stop then catapulted downward towards the rooftops. As he landed on the rooftops, his hooves clanked on the tiles. Taking a moment to gain his sense of direction, Shadow leapt off the roof, landing quietly on the street with a clop.

Drawing his cloak closer around him, Shadow started on his way out of the city. In the darkness of Canterlot, he moved like a ghost.

'It's odd,' he thought as he continued down the road, 'Canterlot used to seem so fast paced and filled with life. Now it's like a ghost town…'

The questions racing across his mind were answered quickly. Hanging to the sides of the road, away from candles, torches and the moonlight, Storm moved undetected. Ahead of him, several patrols marched along.

As a pink pony exited from their residence, Storm watched curiously from the shadows, keeping within earshot. As the pony moved to cross the street, a patrol of four guards bared down on her, blocking her way. They were all white unicorns, dressed in Battle Dress.

Politely, the pink pony asked, "Can I just get by for a few minutes? We're out of water and-"

"Save it citizen. You're breaking curfew. Get back in your home, or we'll haul you in for questioning," the patrol captain said angrily, stepping forward.

"I know, but it's just that my son is sick and he-"

Her sentence was cut off by a forceful slap from a white hoof. Reeling backwards, the pony attempted to shake it off, shocked.

"That was just a warning," the captain stated sinisterly, his hoof still raised, ready for another blow, "Get. Back. In. Side."

With a whimper, the pony stumbled backward into her house, slamming the door behind her. Gritting his teeth, Shadow went on his way. He couldn't believe his eyes. This was not the Equestria he had fought to protect.

'It's a military takeover…'


	6. Chapter 6: Connecting the Dots

**Author's Note**

William here to bring you a smaller chapter. The story is beginning to pick up a bit (especially on my end, just finished the first version of chapter 12!). This chapter really is just set up for the story progression, so very little action here. It's also a chance for the military side of Equestria to be shown (Why? You'll see.) A quick note; the chapters later on will most likely get darker. This is planned, but will also be part of a slump I'm falling into. Hope for a speedy recover so we can have rainbows and sunshine again eh?

Anyway, I'll waste no more time.

Thanks,

_William Sable_

* * *

**Chapter 6: Connecting the Dots**

"Nothing."

"There's got to be something."

"There's nothing…"

Staring at the table, covered in folders and files, Shadow narrowed his eyes, focusing on each document separately.

"There's probably a record of something relevant in here, but there's nothing major about Silverhoof," Fire mumbled.

Looking at his brother, Shadow commanded, "Just read off anything that seems slightly important... those agents were there for a reason. Most likely to keep documents out of the public's hands."

"Fine," Fire acknowledged with a sigh, "Ex-legionnaire, Spec Ops training and deployment in conjunction with something called SOC, joins the E.S.S… blah blah blah… something about something called Sierra Zero… blah blah blah… made Commissioner for E.S.S. Canterlot division, and promoted to Director after the disappearance of all others on the board of Directors."

Rubbing his face, Shadow found himself lost in thought.

"Wait… repeat the part after the SOC," he finally said, after a minute of silence.

"Joined the E.S.S… something about being transferred the Sierra Zero…"

"Sierra Zero…" Shadow muttered, pulling folders toward him rapidly.

"Sierra Zero? What is it?" Fire asked quietly, moving toward Storm.

"I don't know, but I think I… here!"

Pulling a folder out of the pile, Shadow opened it up and slammed it on the table. With a smirk, he began to read it slowly:

"Special Projects Division. Goal: Produce state of the art equipment to combat threats against her majesty. Headquarters: Special Projects Division 01 Site 0, AKA, Sierra Zero."

Looking back up at Fire, he widened his smile.

"Jackpot."

* * *

Squadron, attention!"

_STOMP!_

"Squadron, stand at, ease!"

_CLOMP!_

Dash had always enjoyed drill, but it was even more fun and fulfilling from a commanding point of view, as opposed to being one of the team. It was now just her, Feather and Walker in Canterlot, waiting slowly to journey to their first air show. After a suggestion from Spitfire, Dash had decided to do some basic training to keep the squadron in line.

And to keep her head in line.

"Squadron, attention!" she shouted again.

With another stomp, the two stiffened up straight, their hooves together.

"To the front, salute!"

In synchronization, the two snapped their right hoof up, saluting.

"Squadron, about, turn!"

Again, the two managed to maintain synchronicity, snapping around with another stomp.

"Squadron, about, turn!"

Dash was really beginning to be impressed with their abilities. They had improved a lot since their training in Ponyville AFB.

As she opened her mouth to call another command, Dash stopped. She heard the distant clop of hooves somewhere in the courtyard. Glancing behind her, Dash turned around, stomping her own hoof.

Striding quickly across the courtyard, Major Spitfire took a stand in front of Dash.

With a salute, Rainbow acknowledged, "Ma'am."

"Carry on Acting Captain," Spitfire returned, smiling and saluting.

Taking two paces back and turning about, Dash ordered, "Squadron, stand at, ease!"

They complied, albeit slightly sloppy this time.

"Stand easy, relax," Dash muttered.

Motioning for Rainbow to follow, Spitfire took a several paces away from the two Lieutenants. Dash walked over quickly, clearing her throat.

"Yes ma'am?"

"I wasn't sure whether or not to tell you, but I thought I'd get it done and over with…" Spitfire muttered.

Eyeing her curiously, Dash remained silent.

"Apparently there was a break in last night, at the Equestrian Information Bureau… a whole whack load of files were stolen… by a black cloaked assailant. Media is saying it's a Chrysalid agent, but I think-"

"You think its Shadow, ma'am," Dash finished, smiling slightly.

"Yeah. He took down four trained E.S.S. field agents. So don't worry about him. I know Hotshot, and if he's still himself, he's probably figuring out this whole… thing. So don't get worked up. I noticed you've been really taking this harshly. Thought it might help to know he's still alive."

"Yes ma'am, thank you for your concern," Dash responded, breathing out slowly.

"Carry on with your drill."

With that, Spitfire left hastily, moving across the courtyard with clicking hooves. Returning to her two squadronmates, Dash cleared the grin off of her face.

"Steady up," she ordered, a hint of her smile still showing.

"Squadron, attention!"


	7. Chapter 7: Sierra Zero

**Chapter 7: Sierra Zero**

The sand was hot under his hooves. It wasn't usually noticeable, but this far in the desert it was. He'd been moving with conviction and vigour for a while, but now, the desert heat was taking its toll. He regretted leaving his cloak behind, but if Sierra Zero existed, it would only hinder him.

As Shadow began to ascend a large dune, he cringed. He was so tired…

"Come on Shadow," he muttered to himself, "Just one last dune."

Moving up the steep sandy formation, he pressed his fatigued legs. Slowly he moved, his aching muscles making each movement a labour intensive process. As he finally reached the top, Shadow's eyes widened; something unexpected manifested before him.

A massive complex of beige buildings surrounded by large grey walls lay below him, amidst a large square valley sheltered by four large dunes on all sides.

"Sierra Zero…"

With a deep breath, Shadow took a short leap forward, and began sliding down the side of the dune, heading directly for the grey walls. As he slid to the bottom of the dune, he flared his wings, using them to stabilize his descent and slow him down.

Stumbling to his feet at the bottom, Storm rushed to the wall, pressing up against it. Resting for a moment, Shadow secured his crossbow's sling around his chest and tightened the strap on his goggles.

With a leap, Storm swiped his wings downward, driving himself up and onto the wall. Landing with a clop on the stony surface, Shadow immediately bolted to the nearest undulation and cover. Glancing around, Shadow could now see that at least fifty guards patrolled the base below, with an additional twenty stationed on the walls. The base seemed to be divided in two sections; one section filled with temporary buildings and canopies, the other filled with bunkers and grey, sturdy looking buildings.

Unable to see the exact details of the base, Storm strained his neck to peer around the edge of the undulation, only to snap it back.

Holding his breath, Shadow steadied himself, forcing every muscle to remain motionless. Slowly, he listened as the gentle rustle of metal armour gained volume. A large figure stepped into view. Storm felt his heart skip a beat as the large shadow seemed to blot out the sun.

Then it was gone.

As quickly as the guard had moved towards him, he left, unknowing of Shadow crouched along the wall. Without wasting another second, Storm slipped off the undulation and down into the base, silencing his landing with a single wing beat before touching the ground.

Moving to hide behind a box, he watched as a patrol of guards moved down a path lazily, obviously not taking their job too seriously.

'Just keep moving, and keep your eyes open,' Shadow thought to himself.

Taking a deep breath, Shadow bolted across the path, and into the maze of tents that lay near the gate. After a quick observation, Storm deduced the place was a makeshift barracks, mostly due to the presence of used ration wrappings and sleeping guards.

Taking extra care in placing his hooves, Shadow moved silently through the maze of tents, making his way from one side to the other. As he emerged, he sighted his main goal; the large stone building in the very middle of the complex, most likely the main building.

Moving from cover to cover, Shadow slowly but surely made his way across the base. The sparse amount of crates and other obstructions made it slow going, but eventually, Storm managed to make it to the side of the main building, hiding behind a pile of odd, white-yellow bags.

Ignoring them, Storm crouched down, looking for an entry point. As he sat there, breathing softly, he spotted it: A lone air vent just below the rooftops, barely large enough to fit in.

Checking to see if the coast was clear, Storm stood up. With a leap, he took flight, hovering next the vent as fiddled with the screws. Pulling the vent cover off, Storm slipped in, crawling slowly into the dark abyss that lay before him.

As he crawled through the pipe, he exhaled strenuously. Every sound seemed to be magnified in this vent, and he seemed to be making a lot of it.

'Why do they always make these vents so big?' Shadow questioned himself as he moved.

Before he could even surmise and answer, Shadow heard a deep metallic groan, followed by a loud crash as his vision blurred. Shaking his head violently, Storm watched the world slowly come back into view. He was now sitting in the middle of a small white room, sparsely furnished aside from a few lockers and tables.

Training his eyes on the door, Storm raised an eyebrow curiously. Opposite him, was a door. Beside the door, resting a hoof on the handle, was a beige pony wearing a lab coat, staring at Shadow in surprise, confusion and shock.

"Hello," the pony said, his voice thick with a Canterlotian accent.

"Hi," Storm responded coolly.

Within seconds Shadow had crossed the room, tackling the pony. With a decisive blow to the back of the head, the pony went limp. Wiping his brow nervously, Storm dragged the unconscious pony to the corner of the room, pulling his lab coat off.

Pulling the large crossbow off his back and dropping his cloak, Shadow sighed. Sticking his hooves through the lab coat, he donned the white coat, glancing at the name tag.

"Doctor Whooves?" Storm muttered, shaking his head, "What the hay kind of name is that…"

Pulling the crossbow back over his back and stuffing his goggles in the coat's pocket, Storm slowly exited the room, attempting to remain semi-inconspicuous.

As he shut the door, Shadow found himself in a long, skinny white and grey hallway. The entire place was very sterile and quiet. Cautiously, Shadow moved down the corridor.

Coming to a bend, he stopped, peering around the corner slowly. The entire place was mazelike, and everything looked the same.

"New eh?"

Turning around, Storm forced a grin on his face, nodding nervously. He was now facing another black pony, with a bright orange and yellow mane.

Extending her hoof, the mare stated, "I'm Doctor Mane, Blazing Mane. You are?"

"Doctor Whooves," Storm returned, shaking the mare's hoof.

"Lovely to meet you, I assume you're looking for the Weapon's Division?"

It took a moment for her question to register properly with Shadow's mind.

"Oh yeah! Sorry, it's my first day," he answered, rubbing the back of his neck nervously, "Any chance you could direct me there?"

"I'll do one better, come on."

Storm watched the mare move away, and after a moment of hesitation, he followed.

As he caught up, Mane said, "I'm with Weapons Division myself, actually. I heard there was a bunch of newbies coming in. First tip, you really ought to be more careful when carrying weapons around. Don't want to get shot. Make sure you have the proper forms next time."

"Yeah, sorry."

Turning around, Blazing Mane pressed her hoof against Shadow, bringing him to a halt.

"Hey… is that the XLC-7?" she asked, peering at the crossbow on Storm's back.

"Yeah, I think. Apparently they recovered it from some shipment that got blown up on the way to Canterlot…"

"Oh, the one that Shadow guy blew up?" Mane asked, motioning for Shadow to continue as she began to walk away.

"Yeah, Shadow Storm. The Wonderbolt guy."

"It's a damn shame you know, if only he'd seen the E.S.S.'s treachery before hand," she remarked, walking around a bend.

"Wait, so the trial was a sham?"

"Oh yeah, they paid off half the witnesses and jury. It's really is too bad. If he had been acquitted, I might not be here making weapons but doing something productive, not butchering science for the sake of the E.S.S."

"So why don't you leave then?" Shadow questioned, raising his eyebrow.

With a laugh, Mane replied, "One does not simply walk out of Sierra Zero. Ah, here we are."

Opening the door for Mane, Storm grinned and stated, "After you, doctor."

As Mane moved into the room adjacent to the hall, Shadow lingered for a moment.

Muttering to himself, he stood there shaking his head, "One does not simply walk out of Sierra Zero… that's for damn sure…"


	8. Chapter 8: A Dark Council

**Author's Note**

Hi,

After a long (forced) hiatus, I am back! Apologies for not releasing much but I haven't had access to my computer lately. Anyway, spoiler alert:

This chapter contains a song.

So please, please, please (please?) review and tell me if it was alright. I think it makes the writing a little awkward but stays truer to the show's style.

Anyway, enjoy!

Thanks,

William Sable

* * *

**Chapter 8: A Dark Council**

"Ah, Acting Captain. It's so very good to see you!"

Rainbow stood stiffly, seething quietly. A dark frown was fixed on her face.

"Please, have a seat. Let's be civil about this."

"I'm not being civil about anything," Dash retorted, her shoulders tensing.

It was one thing for Silverhoof to betray and imprison Shadow, but this was ridiculous. His own private tower now mingled among the white walls of Canterlot, its grey walls contrast to the rest of the castle.

"You're not blaming me for your Captain being a traitor are you?" Silverhoof asked sinisterly, leaning forward in his chair.

"I'm not that stupid Director, I know the trial was rigged."

With a sigh, Silverhoof shook his head. Standing up, he turned about and took a stand at the window, staring out at the skyline of Canterlot as the sun slowly rose.

"Tis a beautiful city… your Captain would have given his life for it, you know…"

Rainbow quickly added, "He would have given his life for a lot of things."

"Yes, quite… so how are you doing, Rainbow Dash?"

The question was abrupt and odd. Rainbow didn't reply, and merely stared at Silverhoof's mane suspiciously.

"Acting Captain? How are you doing?"

"Why do you care?" Dash returned, taking a deep breath.

"Because, unlike most ponies, I see possibilities. And in you, I see the possibility for a great leader… presuming you can move on from your 'loss' of Storm."

"A great leader? What, so you think I'd actually join you and your stupid regime?"

"No, of course not. You're far too naïve and spirited. But you'll come around, one way or another…"

Rainbow narrowed her eyes. Silverhoof was unmoving, staring out of the large window. He didn't say anything for nearly a minute.

Finally, he stated, "This conversation is waning. I think it's time to end it. Goodbye Rainbow Dash. Show yourself out…"

Without hesitation, Rainbow left. Stopping in the hall, Dash attempted to collect her thoughts and make sense of what had just happened. Being woken up at the crack of dawn was one thing, but being woken by a summon from the one pony she truly loathed was another. Something was obviously off here, and Dash quickly decided she needed to figure this out.

As she walked out of the castle, he watched from afar, sipping from a small martini glass while looking out the window.

"Do you think she can be recruited then?"

Silverhoof grinned, shaking his head, replying, "No. But she has too many friends… we can't just make her 'disappear'…"

Turning around, Silverhoof placed his glass on his desk and sunk into his chair, watching his dark comrades stand awkwardly, deep in thought.

"We could kill them all. We'll have to after deployment anyway. No one will miss them," one of them stated, stepping toward Silverhoof's desk.

"No, we need something more subtle. She's now in the public's eye," Silverhoof responded, addressing his grey maned friend, "And a simple mind trick won't do…"

"Deception is the key to everything, Director. You and I know this better than anyone."

A black figure appeared in the doorway, moving slowly towards Silverhoof and his fellow conspirators. Hissing gently, he stopped a few feet away from the gaggle of ponies that surrounded Silverhoof.

"Of course Colonel, but the question is, how?" Silverhoof returned, standing up slowly, "Gentlecolts, I'd like to introduce you to one of our new conspirators."

Taking a stand amongst the gaggle of ponies, the changeling grinned.

"Well Colonel. What do you think? We can't kill her. The public would notice, and the ones that aren't completely daft may put two and two together. We can't use mind control on her, as she is obviously far too independent for it to be effective. We can't even trick her with an imposter into losing heart, since she's so damn stubborn. So give us your opinion, please. Everypony here is being quite useless."

The changeling hissed a chuckle through his fangs.

"Deception is needed. We can con her into joining us."

"How so?" a voice from the crowd questioned.

With a grin, the creature began, "That is where _I _come in. Let me put it this way: Killing, murder, they won't work. Subtlety is a necessary quirk. A seed of doubt, planted in her mind, can cause her world to slowly unwind.

Deception is my true art form,  
In it I am versed quite well,  
With it I can do your bidding,  
Any lie, I can sell,  
Can you see why I am needed?  
This rebellion I can quell,

For conspiracy,  
Deception is key,

Shadow stalks and causes problems,  
Appaloosa, Canterlot,  
But if you could stop him dead now,  
You could save your own plot,  
But by savage means and anger,  
All you do is all for not,

For conspiracy,  
Deception is key,

Storm and Dash are the commanders,  
One here, one there,  
Uniting all against you,  
Allies they have everywhere,  
But put a lie between the two Bolts,  
And apart they will slowly tear,

For conspiracy,  
Deception is key,

Director, come on and listen,  
The main point is what you're missing,  
Simple tricks and blunt trauma,  
Won't finalize our little drama,

Now you see what we must perform,  
Not an act of savagery,  
No, we must be much more subtle,  
To save our conspiracy,  
Shadow must die all in good time,  
But on this let's all agree,

For conspiracy,  
Leave the dagger be,  
For conspiracy,  
Silent we must be,  
For conspiracy,  
Deception is key "

With a slow nod, Silverhoof stood up.

"Fine then Colonel, point taken. Deception is key, and it works for me."

* * *

"Twenty three... twenty four…"

The screech of the door caught Dash's attention, but she continued anyway.

"Twenty five… twenty six… twenty seven…"

A set of hooves trotted over to her, clopping gently over the linoleum floors.

"Twenty eight… twenty nine… thirty…"

Standing up, Dash glanced with an annoyed look as Walker made her way to a nearby piece of furniture, flopping down on top of it.

"Wing ups, Dash?"

"Yeah… I was planning on doing one hundred… but I guess nothing goes according to plan."

"Chaser and them are back," Walker stated with a sigh, "The reviews of the performance were alright… but we didn't do as good as Alpha."

"With me at the head, it'll take a while for any of us to get as good as Alpha," Dash responded glumly, "Shadow was the only pony who had any idea what we were doing…"

"Well, the squadron is going to fall apart if you're not careful…"

"I know," Rainbow remarked angrily, moving to sit down.

After a few minutes of silence, Walker finally spoke up.

"Chaser's been asking about you again… so I'd watch out."

"Really? He's such a bucking prick!" Rainbow shouted, flailing a hoof in the air.

Jumping to her feet, she stretched her wings angrily.

"Calm down Dash, I'll just set him straight."

"Does anyone have any idea what I've been through? Shadow has gone missing, not once, but _TWICE_. So not only do I have to cope with that knowledge, but I have to cope with Chaser not bucking off, Silverhoof gloating, and the management of a squadron that I have no idea how to manage!"

Panting angrily, Dash stood there, staring blankly at the wall.

"Dash… I think you need a vacation."


	9. Chapter 9: Lots and Lots of Weapons

**Author's Note**

****William here, and I'm finally back. Exams are coming up so I'll be spending a lot of time studying, but on the other hand, a lack of assignments means I may have some more extra time so hopefully I can get the next few chapters out over the course of the next 14 days.

Also, keep reading! I've got something special planned for chapters 14 and 15. We'll say Shadow's Storm gets a bit... dangerous (if you catch this hint you are probably Zeus).

Thanks,

William Sable

* * *

**Chapter 9: Weapons… Lots and Lots of Weapons**

"So you're supposed to do what with that thing?"

"I don't know," Shadow muttered in response, surveying the room, "Apparently I'm supposed to wait for the guy who gave me the orders."

"And that was?" Mane asked, taking a step toward a counter.

"Didn't catch his name, he was acting super hyper, running around. I only talked to him for a minute or so."

"Oh, sounds like Doctor Maxis. He's left for Tango a while back, so he'll get here in an hour or two."

"Alright," Shadow acknowledged.

Storm now saw the purpose of Sierra Zero in full. The room he was in as just part of the weapons division, and it was massive. Row upon row of counters, equipped with lab equipment, dotted the room. Various contraptions lay littered everywhere, with a few scientists testing various pieces of tech in the plexiglass testing chambers that lined the outside of the room.

_BANG!_

Jumping out of surprise, Shadow whipped his head to and fro, his shoulders tensing.

"Easy there tiger, that's just a gun."

"A gun…" Shadow murmured, "What's a gun?"

"Ah, of course. I partially designed it myself. Firearms are going to be the next greatest evolution of weaponry for all of Ponykind," Mane stated, pulling a pair of safety goggles over her head.

"Firearms… are they super hot swords or something?"

With a chuckle, Blazing Mane answered, "No, they propel a small lead pellet at extremely high speeds, allowing for armour penetration and heavy tissue damage. It's all quiet scientific and gory."

"So it's like… a crossbow on steroids?"

"Sort of, but instead of a high tension rope, we use a small explosive charge to propel the projectile."

"Damn… sounds dangerous," Shadow commented, watching a scientist in an adjoining lab taking aim with a long tubular object.

"It is. We've figured out a way to mass produce them. They'll soon be circulating with the troops… you ask a lot of question, Doctor Whooves."

"Well, I'm just curious. So what use will it be? The E.S.S. already has Equestria by the throat…"

"Yeah, well, don't tell anyone you heard it from me, but a friend of mine is a decent rank in the Agency… apparently there's some master plan that the Director has come up with… all of this fits in somehow. I think he's going to try and take over the throne for himself, if you ask me."

Storm nodded slowly, but found his thoughts drawn elsewhere as two armour clad guards entered the room, moving slowly.

Acting quickly, Storm hastily asked, "So you know nothing more?"

"Not really. All I know is that the E.S.S. is gearing up for some large scale military deployment."

Shadow felt his heart beginning to beat fast, as the two guards fixed their attention on him. They moved quicker, now directly at him and Blazing Mane

"Well, Doctor, it's been a pleasure meeting you. I'd love to stay and chat, but that's my cue."

"Cue? Wait what?" Mane asked, confused as she glanced behind her at the now rapidly approaching guards.

"You've been helpful doc, I'll try not to kill you on my way out."

With that, Shadow bolted backwards, leaping over a counter and dashing out the door. Before he had run twelve feet he heard the sound of clomping hooves on his tail. By the sounds of it, they were gaining fast.

Turning around, Storm launched himself forward with his wings. Crashing into one of the guards, Storm rolled over him, landing with all four hooves on the ground, sliding to a stop. Before the other guard could react, Storm pulled the crossbow on his back around and took aim, firing the large bolt at the pony. As it made contact with his shoulder, the armoured guard grabbed the bolt, falling to the ground limply.

Without another thought, Storm ran down the nearest hallway. As the clopping of his own hooves filled his ears, Shadow felt his heart racing. His own mind began playing tricks on him in these sterile halls, causing him to believe he was being followed.

"Calm down, no one has tripped the alarm..." Shadow stated to himself allowed, panting as he came to a stop at a bend in the hallway.

_ALERT! ALERT!_

A loud alarm began screeching, forcing Storm to cover his ears for a moment. As he lifted his hooves, he could now hear real guards running down the hall behind him.

"Had to open your alicorn damned mouth…"

Without a second to lose, Shadow dashed around the corner. The corridor was short, and led into a large room with a desk. As he entered the room, Shadow spotted a large black door on his right.

Galloping at it, he pushed the door open. The hinges screeched as Shadow took six steps onto the large, raised walkway that wrapped around the front of the building. Then he froze.

At the bottom of the steps leading up the walkway was at least fifteen E.S.S. troopers and one officer.

"FIRE!"

Before the officer could finish the word, Storm bolted to his left. As he slid behind the half wall that adorned the walkway, Shadow heard a chorus of loud blasts, and watched as chips of the door and building began flying everywhere.

"Reload!"

Without a second more of hesitation, Shadow took flight and flew down the walkway, picking up speed. Another blast of gunfire smashed down around him, narrowly missing him as exited the walkway over the half-wall and flew into the sky.

Soaring upward, Shadow let out a deep breath as he zoomed away from the base, toward safety. Directly in front of him was a familiar looking rocky outcropping. Heading for it, Shadow slowed himself down to a cruise speed. A mistake he would regret.

He felt every last bit of breath exit his body, as something forceful slammed into him, catapulting him into a drop. Pulling breath into his body again harshly, Shadow stabilized himself and gained control of his descent.

Glancing behind himself, he spotted two enemy fliers, clad in black flight suits. Before Shadow could observe them further, one of them dived down after him.

Performing a barrel roll to the left, Storm picked up speed as he turned around the rocky outcropping. The enemy flyer kept up with him, remaining on his tail. Performing an Immelmann turn, Storm narrowly avoided his adversary as they flew head on at each other.

Storm quickly performed another Immelmann reversal, coming back around at the flyer. This time, it was his enemy that made a mistake; coming to a stop and slowly turning around to pursue Shadow.

Bursting forward with a heavy wing beat, Shadow smashed into the enemy, forcing the two fliers into a spin as they became locked in combat. Between the element of surprise and his training, Shadow managed to gain the upper hand and throw his enemy at the ground. He watched from afar as the panicked agent became a black dot on the ground.

Hearing the sound of a rushing object, Storm quickly dashed to the side. He watched the other agent fly past, making a wide turn to come around at Storm again. Flying down toward the rocks below, Shadow picked up speed, drawing himself as close as possible to the rocks. He watched as his enemy turned about, coming at him from the side.

"Come on!" Shadow challenged, smiling evilly.

With a puff of air, the agent raced forward, dogged in his determination. As he picked up speed, the agent slowly began to realize his mistake. He didn't figure it out in time.

With small strafe to the side, Shadow avoided the agent, bucking him with his hooves, smashing him between his legs as the rocky outcropping. With a strained groan, the flyer went limp, tumbling down towards the ground. As he smacked down on the sandy surface, Shadow cringed.

"So much for subtlety."


	10. Chapter 10: An Unexpected Reunion

**Chapter 10: An Unexpected Reunion**

"Thirty two… thirty threeee…"

"Rainbow Dash?"

Dash sighed as she raised herself again. Would she ever be able to get to a hundred wing-ups? Let alone fifty?

"Rainbow Dash…"

"What now Fluttershy?" Dash shouted, standing up.

It took a moment for the situation to register with her brain.

"Fluttershy!" she cried, bolting forward and tackling her friend happily.

"…Can you let go now? If you don't mind that is…" Fluttershy muttered in response.

Laughing, Dash released the yellow pegasus. Rainbow's smile widened even further as she watched a familiar gaggle of mares enter the room.

"What are you guys doing here?"

"Twi said you were in awful bad straits," Applejack started.

"**SO WE JUST HAD TO COME AND SEE YOU**!"

Everypony frowned at Pinkie Pie, causing her to shirk away from her friends with an embarrassed look.

"Anyway," Twilight said, walking towards Rainbow, "They just arrived and wanted to go get something to eat. Are you in?"

"I uh…" Rainbow stuttered nervously, "I'm not really in the mood for… uh… I don't…"

Before she could give a definitive answer, Rainbow heard another voice chime in from afar.

"Well isn't this a pleasant surprise?"

Dash snapped to attention and saluted. With a snorting laugh, Spitfire entered, waving her hoof at Dash.

"At ease, relax. Seriously Dash, it's me. I've got great news."

"What?" Rainbow asked anxiously, "Is he? Did he?"

Noting the look on Dash's face, Spitfire quickly clarified, "No! No. It's not that."

"Oh. Alright. Well what's up?"

A giddy smile sprung across the Major's face.

" It's Soarin'… he proposed!"

Rainbow mustered a smile, and attempted to act excited. Although she feigned excitement poorly, she went unnoticed, as the rest of her friends managed to seem extremely excited.

"And, I of course, accepted," Spitfire proclaimed, hopping into the sofa that now lay amidst Rainbow's quarters, "And I need a maid of honour… Rainbow Dash?"

"Me?"

"Yes, you."

Rainbow remained silent for a few moments. After collecting her thoughts and controlling her emotions, she swallowed.

"I uhh… why me?"

"Because, you're my friend, a fellow Bolt, and I like you. 'Nuff said. Plus, I doubt anypony else is worthy of the job."

Spitfire grinned happily. Rainbow felt her heart sink. She couldn't turn her down, not when she was this happy…

"Fine, I'll do it."

"Don't sound so excited. The wedding isn't for a few months anyway."

Dash remained aloof for the next little while, deep in thought. Spitfire chatted mostly with Fluttershy and Applejack, leaving the others to their own devices. As Rainbow strayed out onto her balcony, she saw Twilight follow her. Taking a stand next to Rainbow, Twilight said nothing.

"Do you think he'll ever come back?" Dash asked quietly.

"If he has the opportunity, yes. He's not going to abandon you, that's for sure."

"How do you know that? He might…"

With a quiet chuckle, Twilight remarked, "Rainbow Dash, you are a terrible judge of character. Shadow is loyal. You're the most loyal person I know, and Shadow is a close second. You two are more alike than either of you realize."

"I guess," Dash acknowledged, staring blankly out at the sky.

"Don't worry. He's got everything under control by now."

* * *

"Don't worry. I'll get everything under control."

"Why didn't you just kill him then? You had the chance!" Silverhoof exclaimed angrily, throwing a ball of paper across the room.

"If I attacked him, _he_ would have been the one doing the killing."

"We're closer than ever, Doctor. Don't do anything like this again, or so help me Discord, I will kill you."

Silverhoof stared at his dark companion, his eyes filled with a flame of rage. She merely grinned in response.

"I'll be going now."

With that statement, she left. Silverhoof watched her swoop around another unicorn in the doorway. His new companion moved slowly but purposefully towards Silverhoof.

"What is it now? Spellbound, do you have any idea how tired I am right now?"

"Extremely. But it's important."

"More important than my sanity?"

"Yes."

"Buck…"

Spellbound drew back his long black hood and revealed his black fur and long gray mane. He stared at Silverhoof for a moment before continuing.

"I've managed to figure out the ward enchantment you wanted."

"Ah… this is good news… good news, for once in my life. So what's the catch?"

"Well, it takes a considerable amount of concentration and time. I should be able to produce another by the time we deploy, maybe more."

"Perfect," Silverhoof said, a grin spreading across his face.

He watched as Spellbound slapped a small, silver amulet on the desk. The clank of it landing was joyous to Silverhoof's ears.

"Any intel on Storm?"

"Last time he was sighted was Appaloosa. Train Station. No idea where he's headed though."

"Well, keep every agent on high alert. Dismissed."

With a bow, Spellbound turned to leave. Taking three steps away, he stopped.

"What?" he asked.

"How'd… why… how do you do that? I was just about to ask you…" Silverhoof asked, confused.

"I'm a mage," Spellbound stated, not turning around.

Shaking his head with a sigh, Silverhoof ordered, "Get me Crimson Blade. I think it's time we showed Captain Storm what we are capable of."

"Are you sure? The last thing we need is a martyr sparking a revolution."

"Exactly," Silverhoof responded, nodding, "That's why we need to kill him now."

"This Shadow Storm seems to be able to avoid death. It's… unnatural."

"He's just lucky."

"Maybe… death comes to all of us, but are you sure the time is right for him?"

Grinning, Silverhoof spun about and moved slowly toward the window behind him.

"The time is right when _I_ say it is."


	11. Chapter 11: The Plan

**Chapter 11: The Plan**

Spitfire sat alone in her room, staring at the neatly folded uniform that sat on her coffee table. As she lounged on the couch, she smiled, thinking about all that had happened to her lately. A promotion, Soarin's proposal, it was all going good.

"Smooth sailing…" she said aloud.

_CLOP!_

"You've never been sailing."

Spitfire furrowed her brow, slowly turning around to look behind her. A black figure now stood in the middle of the room.

"Are you here to try to kill me?" Spitfire challenged.

"No."

Pulling back its hood, the figure grinned.

"I'm here to talk."

Returning his smile, Spitfire stood up and muttered, "Well well…"

Stepping forward, Shadow glanced at the door. He took note that it was locked.

"So, I know this is treason and all, but how's it going?" Spitfire questioned, moving over to Shadow.

"Not good," Storm replied, as his smile faded, "The E.S.S. is developing a new type of weapon out in the desert, they're trying to catch me, and they're taking control of the military."

With her smile gone too, Spitfire nodded slowly, remarking, "Yeah… Armor is pretty pissed about it all."

"Considering there are groups of E.S.S. soldiers and legionnaires roaming the streets at night, terrorizing everypony, I can see why."

"So what's the plan?"

Shadow let out a silent laugh that was little more than a puff of air through his nose.

"Do my thing, save the day," he stated, smirking, "But first I need to find out what's going on. That's why I came here."

Her eyes widening slightly, Spitfire quickly returned, "Shadow, I can't be helping you out that much. If it's a document or two, that's fine but what you're-"

_Click._

Spitfire heard the noise, as did Shadow. Before she could even allow her expression to change, she attempted to follow Shadow with her eyes, as he bolted to the nearest cover. Sliding in behind a bookcase, Storm hopped on his hind legs and flattened himself against the wall.

_Creaaaak._

Spitfire turned to watch the door open slightly. A cheerful, familiar face appeared through the crack.

With an angered sigh, Spitfire shook her head and ordered, "Get your hind in here, now."

His look of happiness disappearing, Soarin' entered slowly, closing the door behind him quietly.

"Lock it."

With a confused look, Soarin' locked the door, and moved to join Spitfire.

"What's going-"

"Sup Soarin'."

With a chuckle, Soarin' turned his head to the right. Shadow was now leaning against the bookcase, resting one hoof on the side of his head, leaving the other dangling in front of him.

"So you're back eh?" Soarin' asked.

"For a while, yes," Shadow answered.

"Did you tell him?" Soarin' questioned Spitfire, turning to look at her.

Slowly she shook her head, taking a step backward.

"Good, I want to," Soarin' remarked, turning to look at Shadow.

Storm had now left his place at the bookcase and he joined his two fellow Wonderbolts, with a look of curiosity spreading across his face.

"We're getting married, Hotshot."

"Married?" Shadow said happily, jumping into the air with wing flurry, "Congratulations! This is awesome! I knew you too would work things out! Yes! Yes! Yes!"

Shadow halted in mid movement, as he bolted around the room. Spitfire and Soarin' were both looking at him awkwardly.

"Yeah… that was an overreaction," Shadow admitted, " I've had that pent-up for a while now. Good news is far and in between. Needed to vent my happiness."

"Well, presuming you have some brilliant plan to reclaim your post and get pardoned, you're invited. It's gonna be in April," Spitfire stated, watching Shadow sheepishly land on the linoleum.

"Ah… I guess I'll pull that cart when I get to it… well, anyway, back to what I was saying to you. Soarin' you can help too," Shadow quickly said, galloping over to the two pegasi.

"Alright… I'll bite. What is it?" Spitfire acknowledged, placing a hoof over her eyes.

"I need someone to get into the ESS Tower and do some recon for me."

"Recon? Why…?" Soarin questioned, narrowing his eyes.

"I'm gonna break in, steal what I can, and find out what's really going on."

"Well… neither of us can help you… we don't have clearance and it'd be pretty obvious that we're cooperating with you," Spitfire commented, glancing questioningly at Soarin'.

With a nod and a sinister smirk, Soarin' added, "But we do know somepony who might be able to get in."

"Who?" Shadow asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Bravo Leader."

* * *

"Good, you're here."

Silverhoof stood as he usually did, staring out the window. The sound of the door had triggered his senses. The soft movement on the carpet was unmistakable.

"Who is it?"

"Captain Shadow Storm," stated Silverhoof, turning around and adding, "Former Captain."

"Ah yes, the pegasi that's been destroying all of your trinkets," the pony responded, his red hood shrouding his face.

"Yes," Silverhoof said, struggling to make eye contact through the red hood, "that one."

"I'll send my best assassin."

"No. I want you to kill him personally."

"Why?"

"He defeated two of our aces, equipped with the best tech we have. I need the kill to be sure, and to be quick and discrete. Can you do it?"

Turning around, the red robed pony stated, "My name isn't Crimson Blade for no reason. By this time next week, my blade will be crimson, and your Shadow Storm will be dead."

"He'd better be."


	12. Chapter 12: Reunion

**Author's Notes**

****Hey everyone, William here.

_FREEDOM!_

I've finished all my exams for the semester so expect more frequent updates. The story is progressing (on my end) quickly and I hope you all enjoy the things in store in the future.

Also I'm going to be including more songs soon, so keep your musical eyes open.

Thanks,

William Sable

**Chapter 12: Reunion**

"Forty two… forty three… forty four…"

_Click!_

Rainbow Dash paused. She swore she heard something, but after a few moments, continued with her wing-ups.

"Forty five… forty six…"

_Clomp!_

This time she was sure of it. Slowly, she placed her hooves on the ground, taking an upright position.

_Clop!_

The sound wasn't even masked this time. Somepony had just entered her room, in a very obvious fashion. Judging by the renewed sound of the wind, she guessed they had come in through a window.

"I hear they've made you Acting Captain."

Rainbow felt her heart leap into her throat. Turning around slowly, she couldn't believe her eyes. Leaning against the wall nonchalantly, he was there.

"Silence… you're mad at me, aren't you?"

Attempting to keep her cool, she answered, "A little. That was low blow that night."

"Not really, I did that for you. To protect you."

Crossing the floor towards her slowly, a smirk crossed his face. As Shadow came close to Dash, however, she coldly kept her distance.

"What's wrong? Dash, it's me."

"How do I know that? How do I know you're not one of Silverhoof's spies?"

Shadow frowned, narrowing his eyes.

Then he burst into laughter. For the next few, awkward moments, he laughed to himself.

Finally, he regained control of himself and stated, "Sorry, it's not really funny. It's just odd to see you this paranoid…"

"Prove you're the real Shadow," Dash ordered, stepping toward Storm menacingly, "I'm not saying another word until I know."

"Uh… you've got to be specific… I don't know what you want me to say…"

"Tell me _something_! Right now!"

"Alright! I got my cutie mark back in Cloudsdale when I got chased by a bunch of wackos, I took you to an orchestra picnic thing after we got back to Ponyville, er… I promised you that I'd always come back for you, no matter what. What do you want me to say?"

Dash scanned Shadow's face. After a few moments, she couldn't take it any longer. The look of horror and sadness that was on his face was unbearable. He was either the greatest spy ever, or he was Shadow.

Without waiting another moment, Rainbow blasted forward, smashing into Shadow. Storm toppled over, flopping in ball through the air. The two landed on the tile floor with a loud smack. With a stifled groan, Shadow slowly opened his eyes to see a grinning Rainbow Dash on top of him.

Pushing her away gently, he inched his way out from underneath her, stating, "Kinky. Didn't know you were into that."

"There's a lot that I'm into, you've just hit the tip of the iceberg."

Storm laughed, shielding his eyes from Dash's intense stare.

"While I appreciate the gesture, I don't think now is the time for this. Any of this really."

With a sigh, Rainbow responded, "Yeah, you're right. Sorry. It's just that… I haven't seen you, and it's been so long, and-"

"Stop! Stop. I don't want to hear it. We need to focus on the mission at hand."

"So that's why you're here, huh."

Walking towards the window, Dash sighed. Her ears and head drooping, she stared out the window.

"Unfortunately, yes. The sooner I stop the ESS, the sooner I can get my commission back… But you know the other reason I'm here."

"And that is?"

Storm sighed, lowering his voice to a dry, raspy, monotone drone. Slapping his hoof over his eyes, he shook his head slowly.

"Dash, I've been pissing about in the desert the past few weeks. I attacked an ESS train, broke into the information bureau, snuck into a secret ESS base, etcetera etcetera. You've had a lot of stress, but don't think you're alone. I love you Dash, but Celestia, why do you have to be so demanding?"

Rainbow responded by turning and glaring at Shadow.

Quickly, the dark pegasus said, "You're right, you're right. That was uncalled for. We're both stressed the hay out. I shouldn't have said that. It wasn't right. In short, I wanted to see you… badly."

With a chuckle, Rainbow turned and moved to take a stand by Shadow.

"Why are you always so serious?"

Storm didn't respond for a few moments. He was entranced by Rainbow's gaze, as she stared longingly into his eyes. Her eyes seemed to shine like polished crystal.

Stuttering slowly, he answered, "Because… I'm me. I wouldn't have it any other way… would you?"

"No. Because you wouldn't be Shadow Storm anymore."

Looking at the ground nervously, Storm took a small pace backward.

"Dash… I have to ask you to do something. I don't really want to, but it's my only option."

"Alright. What?"

With a laugh, Shadow remarked, "Wow, you take very little convincing. I've heard Silverhoof has called you to his office, correct?"

"Yeah. You want me to steal something?"

"No, nothing that drastic. I need you to 'accidentally on purpose' get lost in the hallways of the ESS Spire. Do some recon for me."

"Recon?"

Storm grinned sinisterly, pulling his hood up over his head. His neon green mane seemed to disappear into blackness, leaving only his eyes to shine brightly from under his hood. Moving back toward the window, Shadow unfurled his wings, checking them for takeoff.

"Hotshot…?" Dash asked, narrowing her eyes in annoyance.

"Yeah?"

"Why recon?"

"I'm going to break into ESS Headquarters, find out what they're doing, and walk out the front door."

With a snorting laugh, Rainbow asked, "How exactly do you plan on doing that?"

Returning her laugh with a smirk, Storm retorted, "Come on Dash. I'm a Wonderbolt. I'm capable of anything."

Stretching his legs, Shadow peered up at the open skylight that he had snuck in through.

"So that's it. You're leaving again?"

"For now, yes. Can you do it?"

"Of course I can, I'm a Wonderbolt."

"Damn straight."

Loosening his shoulder muscles, Shadow hopped in the air, hovering with slow, steady wing beats.

"Wait! Hold on."

Shadow watched curiously as Dash galloped across the room. Pulling several drawers out of a desk, she searched rapidly, sending papers flying everywhere. As she returned, she tossed an object toward Storm.

Lowering his altitude slightly to catch it, Shadow laughed quietly as he placed it in his saddlebag. He recognized it the instant it glinted in the sunlight, although its new lenses were particularly darker than the last ones.

Rainbow chuckled, waving a hoof at Shadow and commenting, "An aviator needs his aviators if he's going to save the world."

With a grin, Shadow stated, "Now you're talking in my language."


	13. Chapter 13: Undercover

**Chapter 13: Undercover**

"I can't believe I'm doing this."

"It's for the greater good I guess..."

"I know. I still can't believe it."

Dash stopped amidst the large, grey marble lobby that dominated the ground floor of the newly built ESS Headquarters. It was quite loud inside, as various ponies went about their business.

"Look, you'll be fine. Just remember your story."

Nodding, Rainbow recited, "I just took a wrong turn. You're here because we're going to lunch."

"Good," Spitfire responded, "Now move it Acting Captain. We don't have all day, now do we?"

"No ma'am," Dash shouted, moving towards the large stairwell opposite the main door.

As she ascended, she genuinely began to feel lost. The tower had thirteen floors, the top of which was entirely devoted to Silverhoof's office. The two floors below it were restricted. The rest of the building was mostly offices and storage space.

"11…" Dash muttered, stopping and turning toward the door that now lay before her.

The nameplate was black with white letters. This was definitely the eleventh floor. Her alibi now seemed a bit weak. Hesitating, she stared at the door. The stairs were much quieter than the lobby, and the higher you ascended, the quieter it seemed. Now all was silent.

"Buck it."

Moving forward, Dash clicked the handle down and moved through the door. She held her breath, expecting alarms or agents to come crashing down on her any moment. Her fears were unfounded, however. She now found herself in a sterile, grey hallway.

Moving slowly and lightly, Dash cringed as her hooves clopped on the floors. Every sound seemed magnified up here.

Lifting off the ground slowly, Rainbow flew through the halls, picking up speed gradually. It was deserted.

Each corridor looked the same. The same grey tile floor, grey stucco wall and ceiling, and grey metal doors, all unmarked. Backtracking, Dash found herself lost among the corridors.

"Great," she mumbled, "So much for this 'alibi'…"

For nearly half an hour, Dash wandered on, throwing caution to the wind. Every moment she expected to see guards. To feel electricity coursing through her body as she was captured; to watch light slowly fade from her world.

It was all for not, however, as she somehow managed to make her way back to the stairwell door. Without wasting anytime, she blasted through the door and up to the next level.

As she opened the twelfth floor door, she cringed. The door creaked eerily. The inside of the floor was dark. The light from the stairwell stretched only a metre or so into the blackness, and dissipated.

As curiosity got the better of Dash, she moved inside. The place felt cold, and dark. She also felt awkward and on edge, as if someone was skulking in the shadows, waiting to jump out at her.

_Clomp._

Rainbow felt her heart skip a beat. Somewhere behind her, something had just fallen. Holding her breath, she flew quickly back to the doorway. Stopping, just before the door, she stared into the darkness, narrowing her eyes.

_Clomp._

'Buck it, I'm out.'

With that thought, she headed back the way she came, and went another floor up. She had ascended a story in less than ten seconds, and was now leaning against the doorway to Silverhoof's office, panting.

Thoughts began racing across her mind. What was in that room? What was that floor for? Swallowing heavily, she attempted to calm her racing heart. Focusing on the task at hand, she slowly took control of her breathing. After resting for a few more seconds, she stepped into the small lobby.

One large, dark grey tinted glass door lined the wall, along with a small desk in front of it. At the desk sat a rather angry-looking pony, which glared at Dash as she timidly walked in.

"Same as last time. He's waiting."

"Thanks," Dash replied, walking around the desk as she regained her composure.

"Uh huh," was the half-hearted answer.

Rainbow gritted her teeth. Her last meeting with Silverhoof was hard, but this was worse. She was now shaken up from the twelfth floor, and knew that Shadow was alive, fighting the ESS.

The click of the handle, the swing of the door and the creak of the hinges seemed to go on forever. Slowly, she moved towards the desk at the end of the room.

"You wanted to see me again?" she asked from across the room, frowning heavily.

She watched the chair at the desk spin around slowly. A familiar beige pony sat in the seat.

"Yes. You're late."

"I got lost."

"Ah. How are you holding up?"

"Why do you care?" Dash snapped, stamping her hoof on the ground.

Chuckling, Silverhoof answered, "Touchy today, Acting Captain?"

"Just a little."

"Well, it's obvious there's no civility with you. I really wish you would work with me."

"I'll die before I work with a traitor," Rainbow retorted, remaining still and stiff.

"Traitor? Come come, I prefer the term… ambitious," Silverhoof said, grinning evilly, "So how is the squadron holding up? Hmm?"

"Are you just going to waste my time or get to the point?"

Laughing, Silverhoof shook his head, and repeated, "I guess there really is no civility in you. Be gone then."

Dash blinked, confused and unable to process the order for a moment. Silverhoof had a very awkward way of dealing with people. Silently, Dash left. She took very little time in returning to the ground floor.

Rejoining Spitfire with a quick salute, Rainbow left the building hastily, not looking back. Her job was done. Now it was just up to Shadow.

* * *

"Any clue on his whereabouts?"

"My contacts say he's staying in the eastern district of the lower ward. A lot of rundown apartments there, and no specifics yet, but I have my men watching the area 24/7."

"Good, good."

A sound outside the door caught Silverhoof's attention. With a thud, the doors burst open. A familiar changeling entered, moving briskly.

"We have a problem, Director. Everypony's favourite legionnaire is making trouble at one of our warehouses."

"Armor?"

"Who else would it be?"

"Fine. I'll have him dealt with."


	14. Chapter 14: Botched Operations

**Author's Note**

Hey everyone, William here. I'd like to give a big round of applause to ShadowManz for co-writing this chapter (and the next) with me. It was a whole lot of fun, and I enjoy seeing interactions between characters that are not from the same author. Makes for interesting dialogue and content, eh?

So enjoy this chapter if you can! If you like the character introduced in this chapter, you can go read _Dangerous Storms _by ShadowManz to get more. It's a bloody brilliant fiction and I enjoy reading it whole heartedly.

Aside from that, hope everyone is 'enjoying' the new school semester.

Signed,

William Sable

* * *

**Chapter 14: Botched Operations**

Sitting alone in the midst of Canterlot, Shadow attempted to relax his shoulders. He had checked his six five times and not a single agent was on his tail. No legionnaires were patrolling nearby. No pegasi were soaring overhead.

Yet there was something still making him uneasy. A basic fear in the back of his mind gnawed at him; a fear of abandonment.

Storm grimaced at the thought. This fear was deep within him, and impossible to dissuade. It was really the reason why he didn't make friends all that easy. He always had a fear of rejection and abandonment.

The café that he now sat in was rather nice. The silver-blue tables and chairs lined up, row by row, all contrasted the cream building that housed the kitchen and indoor seating. The noise in this section of the city was quite low, and in fact peaceful and calming.

Shadow couldn't calm himself, however. His shoulders remained tense. His mind raced. Standing up, he darted his eyes around. She was late and nowhere in sight. Something felt off here. Dash was unreliable in a normal situation, but in these dire circumstances, it was beyond odd for her to be late.

"Where is she?" he muttered, straining his neck to peer through the crowd outside the café.

He stood up and slid around to the right side of his table, trying to get a better view at the pedestrians. Taking a step forward, Shadow bumped against an adjacent table. Cringing, he prayed for the sound he dreaded to remain silent. The sound he had heard so many a time…

_Clink splosh!_

There it was. Sighing, he turned, facing the table's coffee soaked resident.

Before he had even turned around fully, Shadow began, "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to bump into your table. You alright?"

"Oh yeah, I'm perfectly fine. I've always wanted to be drowned in coffee at a café," a black pony snapped back sarcastically.

"Ah. I uh... here, let me buy you another coffee," Shadow stated, glancing over his shoulder as he slipped into the seat opposite the dark pony.

"Thanks, but keep your money. I don't take charity", he muttered.

"You sure? I mean..."

Shadow trailed off into silence. He spotted the one thing he wished he would never see. Three ponies clad in dark armour were now at an intersection a few blocks away, and closing in on the café fast.

Shaking his head, he snapped himself out of his trance, repeating, "You sure? I feel pretty bad. Is there anything else I can do... uh... I didn't catch your name."

"The name's Night. Night Shiner. And why are you being tailed by somepony?"

"Tailed... me? How..." Shadow muttered, frowning at Night.

Glancing over his shoulder again, he watched the three guards. They were now a few feet from him, walking past the café. Holding his breath as one looked to the side, Shadow felt his heart fluttering.

Then they were gone. As fast as they had appeared they disappeared, becoming part of the opaque mess of the crowd.

"Well, I guess I may as well be frank with you. How did you know I'm being tailed?" Shadow questioned, giving up his former, happy façade.

The black unicorn gave a snort. "The way you're constantly looking over your shoulder and have your muscles tensed, always alert. And your eyes are darting around, never-resting too long on one thing. Although, I never would've guessed if it weren't for those factors".

"That obvious eh... you don't seem particularly worried. I mean, I've been labeled a terrorist."

"Why should I? For all you know I could be a bounty hunter, a murderer, or just a suicidal idiot".

"Touché," Shadow remarked, smirking, "Well Detective Hooves, one guess as to who I am. You've got damn good deductive reasoning. Many lack any skill in it whatsoever. So try me."

Night's eyes flickered, the gears turning inside his head.

"It must have been a recent happening, or the royal guard would have caught you by now. And if you managed to evade them this long, it would have taken discipline and skill, not to mention knowing how the inside works. If Celestia has her top guards after you, she must've known that you would be...rather difficult to locate", he paused for a moment, gathering his thoughts.

"One would have to know when to be seen and not to be seen, mimicking the factors of MIA. Although, there is one stallion that comes to mind, having been on the covers of newspapers multiple times would know this...the last paper I read stated that he had escaped capture...how did I do? You impress me with your game of shadows, Shadow Storm. What did you do to piss the royals off?"

"Well, colour me impressed. One wrong detail though; not the Royals specifically. The Equestrian Secret Service, and one Director Silverhoof. They call it treason, murder, terrorism. Me? I call it being betrayed by your own government, and a lot of 'wrong place wrong time'."

Glancing over his shoulder again, Shadow scanned the crowd for the familiar mane he knew so well. Rainbow Dash was nowhere in sight, however. Turning back to Night Shiner, Shadow sighed, wiping the smirk from his face.

"So how are we going to go about this? You obviously are well versed in these sorts of things, so I'm assuming you're military. Are you going to turn me in? Hand me over to the ESS and doom Equestria?"

"Correct Shadow, I am in the military and I would be going against my duty not to turn you in. But, if I did, you'll probably face execution, and I won't let any pony die by my hooves. So, with your permission I would like to perform a quick truth spell on you", Night said, narrowing his eyes.

"A truth spell... wow. Straight to the point eh? How do I know you won't just kill me? How can I trust you?"

"Here's the thing: you shouldn't trust any pony if you want to stay alive. I could've killed you when we first met, five minutes from now, or whenever I feel like it. But I'm not going to if you allow me to see what really happened. So, do you really want to take the chance of getting arrested? Or, having somepony have faith in you? In conclusion, you have no reason to trust me, and I have no reason to trust you. But I will help you stay free if you let me in your mind".

"Let me in your mind…" Shadow murmured.

He was torn. Every time he looked for Dash, she was nowhere to be seen. This situation was a puzzling one. Thinking for a few seconds, Shadow considered all possible variables. The idea of 'letting somepony' into his mind was beyond creepy. On the other hand, it wouldn't hurt to have some good PR…

"Fine," he stated finally, "It's not like I can stop you anyway."

"Good point, asking was a courtesy. Either way, I was going to perform it on you", Night said.

Horn glowing, he gently touched Shadow's forehead with it.

Shadow felt his eyes close as a strange feeling came over him. Peace? Yes, he believed so. Peace. He had almost forgotten what that felt like.

Then that warm feeling abruptly stopped and was replaced with something else. Despair. It felt like being dropped in freezing lake. Instantly, he opened his eyes, to see Night's perplexed expression.

"That was rather...interesting", the black unicorn said, "I know the truth now but, I...I saw somepony else. Who was that blue mare?"

"Somepony close to me."

Shadow glanced over his shoulder again. Within a moment he had decided his next course of action.

"Somepony who is late..." he muttered, standing up.

"What are you looking for?"

"Well, I was supposed to RV with an ally here. Now, I'm looking for an escape route."

"It shouldn't be that difficult, knowing how many escapes you've pulled. Care for any assistance?" Night asked.

Shadow raised an eyebrow curiously, a grin sweeping across his face. Each passing minute made him like his new comrade more and more. It was odd; he seemed trust worthy but shifty at the same time. Storm was already regretting some of the details he revealed to this odd unicorn. On the other hand, what could he possibly do?

Shadow opened his mouth to speak but never actually uttered a word, as a large figure came crashing down on him.

Within seconds, a dazed and surprised Shadow found himself sprawled on the floor, staring at a silver unicorn that now stood over him. The unicorn had a single hoof raised, with a dagger-like blade wrapped around it.

Shadow's life flashed before his eyes.

'Not like this...' he thought, feeling his heart flutter as the world seemed to slow down to a halt.

The sun glinted off the blade. All around him, the wind seemed to stop. Only one thing came to mind.

'I'm going to break my promise.'


	15. Chapter 15: Assassin

**Chapter 15: Assassin**

A flash of green light followed by a sharp crack sent the silver pony flying a few feet off. Night had risen to his hooves and his horn sparked dangerously.

"Maybe not as easy as I thought. If you're done sitting there, I would appreciate it if you could lend a hoof", Night snapped.

Stumbling to his feet with a grunt, Shadow returned, "No arguments here."

Smoke still rising from his cloak, the silver pony shuddered before bolting upright. Brandishing his blade, he burst forth, leaping toward Night, only to be sent back to his former position by a forceful mid-air counter attack by Shadow.

Night charged forward and feinted to the left, attempting to slice at the pony's side.

The assassin cringed as he narrowly dodged the full blunt of Night's attack, relegating the damage to a glancing blow.

By now the café had cleared out. The street was lined with onlookers, watching the spectacle before them. The café had become a dueling arena for the three ponies.

Leaping onto a table, the assassin feigned another attack toward Night. Shadow counter attacked again, only to be met by a kick in the stomach. With a grunt, Shadow flopped over and on the ground, a few feet away from the assassin.

With an evil smirk, the silver pony leapt into the air, his blade raised and sights set on the dazed pegasus.

_BAM!_

Rolling out-of-the-way as fast as he could, Shadow watched the assassin convulse in mid-air, landing with a thud where Storm was just laying. Standing up slowly and shaking himself back to his senses, he watched the silver pony attempt to get up weakly, only time have his limbs collapse from underneath him.

"Is he dead?"

Shadow glanced back at Night.

"Is he dead?" Shadow repeated.

"No, he's paralyzed. It'll last a few days at the most."

With a sigh, Shadow shook his head. The sound of movement a few blocks away made his muscles tense. Turning back to Night, Shadow stated, "I gotta run. Thank you for everything. I won't forget this."

Night smirked.

"You better not. And good luck with whatever you're planning next. You'll need it if you want to finish this game of yours".

The noise of clanking armour and galloping hooves was now very clear.

"I'd ask you who you really are, but alas," Shadow stated, motioning to the large group of legionnaires rushing down the street.

Hovering in the air for a moment, Shadow bid his ally goodbye, saluting and saying, "Good day Mr. Shiner. And good luck."

With that Shadow bolted backwards, over the café and into the maze of alleyways that dominated much of the lower ring.

With a quick hoof signal, the lead legionnaire sent two of his soldiers after Shadow. The others encircled Night, before backing off slightly as the legionnaire leader stepped toward Night.

"I recognize you... Royal Guard?" he asked, frowning and glancing at the silver pony slumped on the ground.

"Why yes, yes I am", came the reply.

"Move along then, nothing to see here," ordered a voice from behind the legionnaire.

A green pony wearing dark grey armor pushed his way into the front. Taking one look around the café, he shook his head slowly, turning his fiery gaze towards Night.

"This is now under the jurisdiction of the ESS. I'd suggest you leave guardsman," the pony stated, addressing Night.

Night gave a small nod, his eyes flickering to where Storm flew off. He turned and began to walk away mouthing the words, "Good luck".


	16. Chapter 16: A Game of Shadows

**Chapter 16: A Game of Shadows**

Dash moved as quickly as possible, followed closely by Spitfire. The plan had fallen apart quickly. Between her time tripling due to her getting lost in the maze of the tower, and Spitfire having to address some roadside fans, Dash was now completely off schedule. She was one hour late to her rendezvous.

"Dash! Hold on!"

A familiar magenta pegasus appeared amidst the crowd. As Rainbow stopped curiously, Walker advanced, taking a stand beside Dash as Spitfire slowly attempted to catch up.

"Walker? I can't talk now, I-"

"It's important, ma'am," Walker stated, cutting Dash off.

With a sigh of annoyance, Rainbow ordered, "Make it quick."

"Chaser has gone MIA. He's not at the castle, and I've been searching for him for hours now. He's nowhere to be found. I'm worried he might have deserted to the ESS."

"What? Why?" Spitfire asked, pushing past Dash.

"He's been doing a lot of late night runs to the lower ring, and won't give me an answer about why. He's been really secretive and I don't like it."

Dash closed her eyes, groaning. She couldn't believe this. Not only was the ESS tracking their every movement, but now spies? It was too much for her to handle.

"I'll deal with it later," she stated, shaking her head.

With that, she continued down the street, attempting to keep her mind on the current objective. She needed to get to Shadow and get her recon out of her own mind.

As she trotted along, she felt a hoof grab her and halt her. A dark navy pony, clad in legionnaire's armour, now stood in her way.

"Move along citizen, nothing to see here."

Dash frowned at the soldier and peeked around him. Legionnaires were now forming a wall around the café that she had intended to meet Shadow at. A wall to keep people out and away from the scene inside the café; a pony, clad in red and black robes, laying on a table with a dagger in his back.

At first, Dash thought it was Shadow whom was lying on the table, causing her to reel back with nausea. Upon second glance, however, she felt her heart settle slightly.

Spitfire was now next to her, tugging gently at her shoulder. After a few moments, she finally followed Spitfire, as the two moved to the side of the road.

"What are we gonna do?" Rainbow questioned with a sigh, "Shadow is now officially a murderer. I can't believe he'd do that. Why would he do something this stupid!"

"Is he really? This could be a set up," Spitfire stated, shrugging.

Rainbow couldn't concentrate any more. Her mind was struggling to cope with the stress. Without responding to Spitfire, Dash automatically began heading back to the castle. Spitfire attempted to get Rainbow's attention, but after failing twice, settled for following her in silence.

The next thing Dash remembered was being in her quarters, lying on her bed. She felt drained of all energy and feeling. Her allies were disappearing, her nerve was breaking and she was questioning everything she thought she knew.

_KNOCK Knock knock…_

A rap at the door trailed off slowly. The door opened with a creak slowly. Sitting up, Dash saw Walker standing in the doorway.

"You okay Dash?"

"What do you think?!" Rainbow snapped, bolting across the room to Walker.

"Woah, ma'am. Apologies. What did I do?"

Seething, Rainbow growled, "What do you mean, 'What did I do'? You made me miss my meeting with Hotshot!"

"Meeting with Hotshot… ma'am I don't know what you're talking about. I haven't talked to you today," Walker said, her eyes filled with confusion.

"You don't know what-! Wait."

Rainbow stopped herself in mid shout. Taking a step back, a look of horror swept over Rainbow.

"That wasn't you?" she asked quietly.

"No ma'am, what is it?"

"They're onto me."

* * *

"This was amateur, Director. You're lucky I showed up when I did. Her and Spitfire would have been there for the entire thing if I hadn't stalled them."

Silverhoof shook his head and returned, "I know, but it wasn't my fault this time. I told Crimson to take care of him personally."

"This is getting out of hand, Director. You need to control these idiots better," Razortooth stated, "What happened to deception?"

"I'll tell you what happened," Silverhoof said, turning around and frowning at Razortooth, "It's called we're playing a Game of _Shadow's_. Not a Game of Shadows! He's got the home court advantage, and plenty of support. We have to work in the dark, and maintain our cover. Now if you don't get your part prepped ASAP, Shadow will be dead before you can even deploy your bloody plan."

"Dead?"

"Yes, DEAD."

"Are you sure even Crimson is up to the task?"

Turning around with an evil smile spreading across his face, Silverhoof walked toward the window.

"He doesn't have much choice, Colonel."

Razortooth narrowed his eyes curiously.

Quietly, he questioned, "What did you do?"

"I had his assassin executed. On the spot they found him. I also told him that he and all his underlings would suffer the same fate if he didn't kill Shadow or die trying."

"That's cold, Director. Very cold. Especially for a pony," Razortooth remarked, his grin slowly growing, "I like that attitude. Deception and efficiency are needed for us to win this battle."

"And a buck load of luck."

Silverhoof leaned his hoof against the window, looking down at the city. It would be his soon; all the city, and beyond. He would rule, and nopony was going to stop him.

The reign of Chaos would return to Equestria.


	17. Chapter 17: Infiltration

**Chapter 17: Infiltration**

"Bloody hay…"

Sturdy Pine shivered, his body reacting to the harsh change in climate.

It was one thing to be stationed in his hometown of Appaloosa, where everything was warm and nice, but here it was so cold…

"Oi! Pine."

Turning away from the small lantern that he was huddling next to, Pine spotted the source of the voice. A fellow soldier walked towards him slowly.

"Shift change?"

"Eeyup," the soldier returned, coming into view at the edge of the lantern's light range.

The soldier was a golden brown Earth pony, clad in the typical grey ESS armour. It took some getting used to, but Pine was now comfortable in his new ESS issued armour, and found it less odd to see others in the dark coloured armour.

"Thank Celestia," Pine remarked, still shivering, "I don't know how anypony stands it here in Canterlot."

"You get used to it. Not too cold in Appaloosa eh?"

"During the day it's scorching hot, and at night it's freezing, but this is a different kind of cold."

A deep swooshing sound caught Pine's attention, forcing him to glance up. Nothing was there. Nothing but the cold wind whistling through the trees.

"I hate this city; I keep thinking I'm seeing thing stalking the perimeter, but usually turns out to be a tree, twig or cat."

"I know the feeling. Anyway, get yourself inside, don't want you getting sick and coughing all over my lamp next shift."

"Alright, no arguments here. Later."

The guards' discussion was so minor and pointless. Shadow remembered those types of conversations. Mostly back when he was a cadet and during the early days as a flyer. Heck, he even had a few of those before he was proclaimed a traitor. Idle talk never was his forte, but now it seemed utterly foreign to him.

He noted that one never realizes how poorly the average soldier patrols or keeps watch until you're on the other side. Shadow had practically flown directly over their heads, and only one of them so much as glanced his way.

The Equestrian Secret Service Tower was much taller up close. Flying up the side of it, he struggled to maintain his silence and altitude at the same time. Ascending to the top, he let out a sigh as he touched down on flat roof of the grey spire.

Taking a moment to stretch his limbs, Shadow felt his mind racing. He was back in his element; clad all in black in a makeshift BDU with a saddlebag filled with gear. It reminded him of his days as a Wonderbolt, back when he was a valued member of the team, and not relegated to 'morale' duty.

Tearing his mind off the past, he began unraveling the long cord that he had around his body. Affixing one end of it to an undulation on the half wall that ran the perimeter of the roof, Shadow took a step toward the edge. He was now directly above Silverhoof's office.

He swallowed, hesitating. The idea of going into this without prior recon was nerve-racking, but he had no choice. They were getting closer and closer to him every day, and closer to their final objective, whatever it may be.

Closing his eyes, the dark pegasus murmured, "You are Captain Shadow Storm, Royal Air Force, Wonderbolts Bravo."

In the past, he had done this, and it helped. Shadow only could hope it would still be effective. Keeping his eyes closed, he clicked the opposite end of the rope onto the harness around his body.

"You are a soldier. You do not feel fear. You do not feel warm. You do not feel cold. Emotions and feelings are a state of mind. You are a warrior."

Opening his eyes, Shadow smirked as his muscles loosened. His mind began to work properly, with his thoughts now at the task at hand. It worked.

Leaping off the edge of the tower, Shadow spun around with a quick wing beat, landing on the side of the tower, about a metre from the large window the dominated the side of it. Breathing out slowly, he released some of the tension on his rope and pushed away from the wall, landing in the middle of the window.

Glancing inside, he determined the office was empty. Steadying his rear legs stiffly against the glass, Shadow reached back and pulled the long, needle-like knife he had fashioned.

'Here goes nothing…'

Leaping backward with the knife in his hoof, Shadow used his wings to propel him far away from the tower. He extended the knife before him as he swung towards the tower.

_CRACK!_

Shadow couldn't tell what was louder; the crack from the knife smashing through the glass, or his leg as the knife made contact. Gritting his teeth, Shadow attempted to ignore the pain, staring at the now heavily cracked glass pane in front of him.

Leaping back again, Shadow left the knife stuck in the glass. This time, as he swung back, he extended his rear hooves.

Colliding with a glass, Storm crashed through the window, landing harshly on the floor as glass shards spilled all over the office.

Quickly unclipping himself from his abseiling line, Shadow bolted to the grey desk, ripping the drawers out. Shadow pulled every single drawer out, and found himself shocked.

The entire desk was empty.

"Buck…"

Running his hoof through his mane nervously, Storm noted a small switch on the side of one of the drawers. Flicking it, he heard a click and watched a small compartment directly in the middle of the desk move.

Pulling the compartment open, Shadow frowned. A single folder dominated the entire drawer.

"Operation: Ragnarök," he read aloud.

Shaking his head, he stuffed the folder in his bag and sealed it tightly. A noise at the door caught Shadow's attention. As he turned to look, a blast of green light flew past him, singing his fur.

He wasted no more time in that office. Jumping out the window, he clipped onto his abseiling line in mid-air, and raced further down the side of the tower. He had only made it a storey below before feeling the tell-tale signs of his rope being tampered with. Holding his breath, Shadow swung backwards heading directly for the nearest window.

Smashing through it, Shadow landed awkwardly on the floor. He couldn't see anything in here…

He didn't have time to contemplate the darkness, as he felt himself jerked backwards. Turning around, he watched the top of the abseiling line come racing past the window, headed straight for the ground.

Falling to the floor, Shadow felt himself being quickly dragged toward the window by rapidly descending depelling rope.

Working frantically, Shadow struggled to unclip himself from the line. Forcing his hooves into the floor with a sickening screech, Storm felt his body being pushed to the limit, as he fought desperately against gravity.

"Come on you bucker…"

He almost had it, but the line was too big and tense for this clip. Shadow watched as he raced uncontrollably towards the edge.

_CLICK!_

Shadow forced his hooves into the floor with all his force, being saved only by the lip of the window. Letting out a sigh of relief, he watched his end of the rope tumble out the window. Remaining on the floor a moment, Shadow regained his strength.

Standing up, he looked around. The room was pitch black and more than a bit eerie. Slowing his breathing, he stared into the darkness blankly, as he unclipped his harness, letting it fall with a thud.

Shadow took a deep breath a reached a hoof up to his head. Pulling the goggles that were tightly (and a bit painfully) strapped to his head down, he breathed out slowly, as he clicked the button on the side. With a whir, the room suddenly became rather bright, with every nook and cranny of the room visible as if it were lit up with pale green sunlight.

The room itself seemed to span around the entire tower, and was large in every way imaginable. Large piles of various objects and crates dominated the room, with a series of pillars creating an inner ring in the room.

Shadow felt his fears of the supernatural feeling of this room replaced with much more rational ones.

"Celestia save me…"

Shadow walked among the massive piles of crates. He was shocked and appalled; every crate and box was marked clearly. The entire room was a massive stockpile of weapons and explosives.

* * *

**Author's Note**

Hi guys,

William here. Just wanted to make an apology for that outburst of whiny-ness. It was out of character for me personally, and more than unprofessional. I don't want to bring you all into something that isn't your problem. I just so happened to be in a bad mood that day (Had WAAAY too many epiphanies in the span of 24 hours), so apologies.

Also I'd like to announce that I am for sure going to be working on a prequel to _A Shadow Falling. _It'll cover Shadow's experiences during training and flight school, will most likely be a 1st person story, and will be filled with all the shenanigans and stupidity I've experienced so far in my life. Hopefully it'll be a bit less dark than these novels.

Also, before anyone asks, Shadow is using an abseiling line due additional weight of the equipment he's carrying making it difficult to hover.

So yeah, I hope the school year isn't being too harsh on everyone and I look forward, as always, to your feedback.

Signed,

_William Sable_


	18. Chapter 18: Exfiltration

**Author's Note**

Hey guys, William here. Just a quick update on the Storm Trilogy... saga... universe thing. As I mentioned previously (at least I think I did), I'm currently working on _A Shadow's Journey_ - a prequel to _A Shadow Rising _- and I want your OCs. Lot's of them. Why?

Well the fiction will be centered around Northplace Military Academy (bonus points if you get the reference). So send in anything and everything military related. Heck, even send in random OCs. They always could make a decent CI.

_A Shadow's Journey (Or A Shadow Begins_ not sure which one) is gonna be awesome I think. It'll be really different compared to the Storm Trilogy, and will be mostly talk and social drama (and a bunch of shenanigans and sillyness based off of my real life experiences). So yeah. We'll see how that works eh?

Also wish me luck. I have a competition thing tonight so I need all the help I can get. Pray for me and George Beurling.

Signed,  
William Sable

* * *

**Chapter 18: Exfiltration**

Rainbow Dash paced back and forth nervously. She had given her involvement with Shadow away so stupidly and easily. This was an amateur mistake.

"It'll be fine Dash, they don't have any proof."

Rainbow shook her head at Twilight, returning, "They don't need any. They'll just make me disappear like all the rest."

"That will not be happening. We've known of your cooperation for a long time."

Dash halted, turning around slowly. A look of sheer rage and malice came to her face.

"I should to kill you for what you've done," she stated, her voice dark and monotone.

Razortooth shook his head, saying, "Actually, I aided the Wonderbolts, and Captain Armor in the rescue of your beloved. Now I'd suggest listening to what I have to say."

"I'm all ears," Dash retorted, advancing toward Razortooth slowly.

"I wouldn't try that… not that I'd win in combat against you, but would you really risk losing some vital intelligence?"

Rainbow halted but remained tense.

"Good," Razortooth said, continuing, "Now I should have you know, I'm back with the ESS. I've infiltrated them to the highest extent, and now am in a secure position. You all have a lot to thank me for. Shadow would have been assassinated several times over by now if I hadn't suggested otherwise."

"He wouldn't have been. They would have failed to kill him."

"True enough, Acting Captain," Razortooth agreed, grinning, "I quite like Shadow. That's why I've tried to stave off the ESS for as long as I could. But I can't any longer. We're too close to the deadline."

"Deadline?" Dash questioned, relaxing slowly.

"Yes, for our plan. I can't give you specifics, but let's just say that something big is going down soon."

"And why are you telling me this?" Dash asked, glancing at Twilight as she watched confusedly from afar.

"Because I'm not completely heartless. Because I enjoy the company of your Captain Storm. Because I know that we Chrysalids will gain much more in the long run by having Celestia remain ruler of Equestria. There are many reasons. The important thing is that you must aid Captain Storm in stopping the ESS."

"Tell me what's going on then!" Dash ordered, frustrated.

"That, I can't do."

"Well, what can you do?"

"I can give you other intel… some of which you'd be very interested in…"

* * *

Shadow readied himself for combat, as he heard a door screech open slowly. Bolting to one of the columns that ringed the middle of the room, he held his breath, as the sound of hooves moving across the floor became apparent.

Peering around the edge of the column, Shadow observed four dark figures enter, splitting off into groups of two to scour the room.

Waiting anxiously, Shadow attempted to keep calm and regulate his breathing. He knew they were closing on him fast, but he remained calm. He'd been trained for this.

Dashing around the corner, Shadow launched himself forward at the nearest target, sending the figure flying off into a wall. The other counterattacked with a similar burst forward, but Shadow evaded and moved towards the open window.

He felt his neck grow cold, as rain began pouring in through the opening. In his peripherals he watched them circling like wolves, eerie in the pale green light of his night vision goggles. A flash of lightning blinded Shadow for a moment, causing him to groan in pain, as his eyes were overloaded with light. Flipping the goggles up, Shadow took a few steps back as he rubbed his eyes frantically, attempting to get them working again.

Looking back into the darkness, Shadow saw four triplets of glowing red light moving into position around him. Flicking his goggles back over his now functioning eyes, Shadow stared at his four adversaries. Like him, they wore night vision goggles, though their appeared much more refined and advanced.

Another bolt of lightning cracked the sky. Shadow managed to close his eyes in time to avoid being completely blinded. Within moments of opening his eyes, they were upon him.

The four ESS agents attacked Shadow ravenously at once, with daggers drawn. Dodging and weaving between their attacks, Shadow escaped the throng of them, move closer to the window.

One agent shot forward, fluttering his wings in the air as he raised his dagger to attack Shadow. Storm dodged the initial stab by a hair's length, and counterattacked by bucking the agent's forward leg forcefully. The attack landed with a crack, which Shadow immediately followed with second strike on the agent's back, causing him to fall to the floor.

Shadow didn't have time to turn to address the others. They all burst forth again, tackling Shadow in a chaotic mass. This time, Storm managed to knock away two of the agents before being pinned to the ground by an earth pony.

Wriggling under the heavy weight of the pony's hooves, he watched a second unicorn agent move forward, drawing a dagger and advancing toward Shadow speedily.

Bucking the earth agent's stomach with his hooves, Shadow slipped out of the agent's grasp and back to his feet, grabbing the stunned agent and throwing him towards and out the window. Whipping back around, Shadow stood on his hind legs and grabbed the dagger with his forward legs. The unicorn agent responded by grabbing dagger with both his forward hooves, along with using his magic.

Whipping his hooves down and to the side, Shadow disarmed the unicorn as he snapped his hooves in an awkward, painful angle. Kicking out with one of his back legs, Shadow smashed the agent's foreleg, dislocating it and forcing him to let go of his weapon.

With the knife in his grasp, Shadow instinctively whipped his forelegs upward. The dagger made contact with the agent's throat with a sickening crunch. Shadow cringed as the agent fell to his knees, grasping vainly at his neck.

The remaining agent, a pegasus, burst forward tackling Shadow. Standing over Storm, he raised his dagger for the kill strike, only for Shadow strike the agent's leg and roll out of the way. The agent once again launched himself at Shadow, grabbing Storm and ramming him painfully into one of the columns, midway up the column.

Storm felt the air drain from his lungs, and his back erupt into a massive wave of pain. Ignoring it to the best of his abilities, he bucked the pegasus and slid around his adversary, smashing the agent into the same spot he was just in. Dashing back, Shadow watched the agent, with his limbs now wrapped around the column, slowly attempting to pull his legs into a normal position.

He wasted no time. Blasting forward with the last of his remaining strength, Shadow crashed into the agent, smashing him through the column. Storm stopped himself in the air, and cringed as the agent landed on the floor with a sharp crack, sliding slowly.

Shadow now only took note of the disturbing similarity that these ponies bore. They were clad in black and silver uniforms; a colouration and pattern all-too similar to that of the Wonderbolts.

'He's got his own squadron,' Shadow concluded, moving back towards the window.

He didn't dare think about the implications of any of his findings. All he wanted to do was get out of here. He was battered, bruised and slashed to hay by glass shards and daggers.

Now, he wanted to go home.

Leaping out the window, Shadow painfully extended his tired, sore wings. Soaring down towards the streets of Canterlot, Shadow landed in the lower ring, in a familiar courtyard.

Walking up the stairs quietly, Shadow limped. He felt like he was back in Ponyville, with his foreleg painfully injured.

Coughing as he closed the door behind him, Shadow winced. Now that his heart rate was slowing, he could feel every wound and injury. Every part of his body seemed to burn with fiery pain.

Tearing off what was left of the top part of his BDU, Shadow moved to the grungy bathroom. Turning on the sink, he watched the grime soaked bowl fill with clear, clean water.

The abandoned apartment Shadow was staying in was a wreck. Being one large room and a small bathroom, it was more like a hotel room than true apartment. The bathroom was small, cramped, and tiled with off-white tile. The rest of the apartment was dominated by gray floorboards and peeling, faded, green wallpaper.

After washing a few of larger wounds on his body, Shadow moved back into the remainder of the apartment. The only furnishings of the apartment were a small metal bed frame with a bare mattress, a small wooden chair, along with two tables that Shadow had his gear laid out on.

Grabbing the lone first aid kit that he had, Shadow sat down on the chair and began dressing his wounds.

As Storm sat there, a voice struck out in the silence.

"Hi Shadow."


	19. Chapter 19: First Aid

**Chapter 19: Arrivederci Ponyville**

As he stood at the station, waiting for the train, Shadow looked around. The sun was setting, casting a gloomy orange glow across everything in his sight. Storm stood straight and stiff, his mane blowing in the cool evening breeze. His wedge almost flew off, but he managed to counter for the wind, and use his hoof to straighten it.

He heard the clopping of hooves behind him, and turned to see Rainbow Dash, Twilight Sparkle and Pinkie Pie behind him.

"Applejack and Rarity send their regards," Twilight started in a sad voice.

Shadow nodded and took a few gentle steps toward them.

"I'm sorry, about everything. I've come to grips with leaving, and my life, for now at least. I just hope you remember me as the idiot who trashed Sugarcube Corner partying, not the idiot who blathered on about war and violence and other depressing stuff," Shadow said, ending his sentence with a grin.

Twilight smiled weakly, and Pinkie bounced up and down. Rainbow still looked a little melancholy as the whistle of the incoming train sounded in the distance. Shadow looked and saw a trail of smoke quickly approaching. As he looked back, Rainbow took a few steps closer to him.

"I didn't see myself getting… emotional like them," Rainbow stated brashly, using her head to point at the two mares behind her, "But…"

Dash suddenly wrapped her hooves around Storm, resting her head on his shoulder. For a moment he hesitated, before reciprocating the embrace. She seemed nervous, as she trembled slightly, her fur warm. Storm gently nuzzled her colourful mane as the whistle of the train blasted again, this time much closer. As they stood there, he heard a whisper come from Rainbow.

"Hotshot, do you love me?"

Storm hesitated. Sure, he liked her, a lot. He willingly took injuries and wounds for her but love was such a strong word. He cared for her deeply, but couldn't bring himself to respond.

His lack of response was noticed by Dash, whom took her head off his shoulder and looked deeply into his eyes.

"Shadow?" she asked, her gaze intense.

"I uh… err… I…" stuttered Shadow.

Rainbow's face slowly melted into sadness, which then rapidly turned into rage. Taking a several loud steps away from the stallion, she came to a stop with a stomp.

"It's a simple yes or no answer," she stated angrily, turning to address Shadow.

"Yes?" Shadow said, still unable to answer the question.

Rainbow frowned even harder, took a few more steps and turned her back to Shadow. Shadow felt his heart plummet so hard, he felt his chest would burst.

'Great one Hotshot,' he derided himself silently, 'Should have just bucking answered immediately.'

The train was now bearing down on the station. Shadow walked over to Rainbow and attempted to calm her by placing his hoof on her shoulder, but she coldly shrugged it off and stepped away. Shadow lowered his head and slowly walked over to Twilight. He gingerly took his hoof and removed his aviator sunglasses. He grabbed Twilight's leg and placed the glasses in her hoof.

"Give her them when she's less angry," Shadow stated, his head still low, "and take good care of them, I've been wearing them since flight school. Goodbye Twilight."

The unicorn nodded and responded, "See you around."

As the train arrived, Storm bid Pinkie farewell, and walked over to Rainbow once more. She stood oddly still and looked like a pale blue statue. Her mane seemed to glow in the sunlight as the sun slowly retreated toward the horizon. Storm leaned over and kissed the pegasus gently on the cheek. Dash remained silent, and unmoving.

"Goodbye, Dashie."

With his parting words to the three ponies, he quickly boarded the train, and took his seat. He watched the mares from his window with regret. His heart was heavy, as the train pulled away. He thought sadly about his mistake with Dash, and his stupidity.

'She hates me.'


	20. Chapter 20: The Blade Strikes

**Author's Note**

Hi guys, William here. Just wanted to make some notes about the future of the Sableverse!

For one, this chapter is one of (if not the) longest in the entire series, so prepare yourselves. Also, I'll try and get back into the swing of things. I've had a lot going on as usual, and I literally have not had enough time to write for a long time now.

Anyway, in light of the fact that I just got a nice shiny new promotion, I thought I'd give you guys something big in celebration. So I gave you this chapter. Hope you like it!

Signed,

_William Sable_

* * *

**Chapter 20: The Blade Strikes**

Shadow turned away from the door that Dash had just left through. Swallowing, he calmed his emotions as they attempted to rise again.

_CREAK!_

Freezing in mid step, Shadow felt his muscles tense. Something was in his apartment.

"Apologies for this, Captain Storm."

Shadow fixed his eyes on a red pegasus, wearing a dark red and black cloak, standing beside the window.

"Wow, a lot of guests today," Shadow remarked, nodding slowly, "ESS right?"

"In a way. Silverhoof is threatening to kill me and my order if I don't kill you. I really am sorry."

"Don't be. If you're story is as you say, you don't have much of a choice, now do you?" Shadow responded with a chuckle.

"Indeed. Two colts, both forced by the same tyrant into a rather uncomfortable position."

"Very. Well, let's get this over with then. I've got things to do, people to see."

"You seem like a decent fellow, I hate to kill you," the assassin answered, his face filled with sadness.

Smirking, Shadow retorted, "You seem like a decent colt, I hate to die."

Blasting forward, Crimson Blade smashed into Shadow, pinning him against the apartment door. Countering, Shadow smashed his rear hooves into Crimson's stomach, forcing the assassin back. Within a split second, Crimson flung himself at Shadow again, narrowly missing the aviator as he ducked under the attack, and bolted for the opposite side of the apartment.

Swiping his saddlebag off the table, Shadow flung it out the half-opened window, praying for the contents to remain secure. Extending his wings, Shadow prepped to launch himself through the window, but felt a massive object smash into his side, sending him tumbling over the lone chair in the room.

Lying on the ground, Shadow found himself in a familiar position, with Crimson standing over him, his small hidden dagger extended and poised for a strike. Without wasting a second Shadow wrapped his hooves around the assassin's weapon hoof, and smashed his body with full force into the pegasus.

The two reversed positions, with Shadow stumbling to his feet. Forcing himself forward with unsure footing as he tripped over the chair in the middle of the floor, Shadow flung himself at the window, ignoring the fact it wasn't open. Smashing through the glass and weak, rotted wood, Storm landed on the street below with a loud smack.

Everything was dark and hazy for a moment, but Shadow pressed on, weaving around the crowd of onlookers. Galloping into an alleyway, Shadow made a left turn and then a right, and soon found himself on Main Street, amongst the many stalls set up along the side of the road.

The street was packed with ponies, and bustling with business. Melding into the crowd, Shadow calmed himself, attempting to lower his breath rate. Glancing around every few seconds, he scanned the crowd for pursuers. He had no doubt that more assassins would come.

Swallowing and slowly returning to a more calm state, Shadow began wandering through the crowd. He was lost in a maze of colour, as every shade and tint seemed to whirl around him. Stopping at every stall along the street, Shadow idly glanced at the merchandise, meanwhile continuing to scan the crowd. It seemed as if nopony was following him…

There.

It was a faint movement, but Shadow trusted his instincts. Ducking back into the crowd, he continued with the flow of movement. Everypony seemed to be moving uphill, to the castle. Glancing over his shoulder, Shadow spotted the movement once again; red and black moving into a direct interception path, pushing through the crowd.

Narrowing his eyes, Shadow felt something cold touch his neck. With a sharp jerk onto his back, Storm was dragged out of the midst of the crowd, towards a market stall, as the cold feeling grew and began ripping the breath out of Shadow. Struggling under the cold claw of death, Shadow waited a split second before lashing out with one of his hooves, and a strong wing beat. Breaking free of his enemy's grasp and being flung into the air, Shadow spied the assassin. With a sharp burst of speed, Shadow landed on the pony, tackling him to the ground. Wrestling the long, cordlike object out of the assassin's hooves, Storm spun his body around, forcing himself underneath the assassin. Tangling his adversary's hooves in the garrote, Shadow whipped the object up to his attacker's throat, applying pressure.

Rapidly, the assassin struggled, but to no avail. Finally the assassin stopped moving, and Shadow instantly released his grip.

Standing up, Shadow coughed as he pulled back the hood of the assassin, still reeling from the lightning fast combat. To his surprise, it wasn't Blade. It was a green earth pony, with a purple mane.

"Bloody hell…" Shadow muttered, shaking his head and stepping back toward the stall.

Lifting a hoof to his throat, Shadow let out one more cough before heading back into the crowd. Now he knew there was more than one assassin on his tail; an extremely frightening prospect.

If the circumstances had allowed it, Shadow actually would have enjoyed this street. The market style set up housed every kind of product imaginable. The over packed stalls were bright and vibrant, as was the crowd of onlookers, well wishers and travelers.

Storm didn't have time to enjoy this opportunity, however. He halted, frozen in his tracks. There was a small clearing in the crowd ahead. Directly in the middle of it stood another assassin; Crimson Blade by the looks of it. Swallowing nervously, Shadow turned around.

Another assassin was about twenty feet away, closing in slowly. Shadow knew this manoeuvre. Glancing in several other directions, Shadow noted that he was surrounded. Six black and red robed assassins now blocked his path, each advancing at an agonizingly slow speed.

The murmur of the crowd began to fade away. Shadow felt himself slipping into the zone. Tilting his head to the side, he cracked his neck.

"Target key points; jaw, knee, eyes," he muttered, slowly circling and watching on each assassin.

It was now a waiting game. Shadow stood his ground, circling like a trapped animal. The screech of metal behind him was clear. He heard them readying their weapons.

A whistle of air to his left triggered his combat senses. Instinctively, Shadow took a large pace to the right and whipped around. A pegasus landed beside him, robes in a flurry as his dagger smashed into the cobblestone road with a loud, ear shattering scrape. Bucking with his back legs, Shadow knocked the assassin's forelegs out from underneath him. With a leap, he kicked his adversary in the face, forcing him to bounce off the ground and roll a few feet.

After a few initial screams and some rushed movement, the crowd went silent, as the bystanders who had been pushed or knocked over in the fight scrambled away. A large circle of onlookers stared in stupefaction, leaving Shadow and the assassins to fight.

The sound of hooves on his six forced Storm to shift focus and direction. A unicorn with a short sword burst forth, leaping at the last moment into the air in an attempt to pounce on Shadow. Throwing a hoof up to counter the attack, Shadow managed to force the sword away as the unicorn landed on him, receiving only a glancing blow on his shoulder. Smashing all four hooves into the unicorn's chest, Storm rolled out of the way as the assassin flopped on the ground, his lungs temporarily shut down from such a heavy blow.

A third assassin attacked once again from behind, this time silently. The same earth pony that attacked earlier was now face to face with Storm, fighting in unarmed combat. Smashing a hoof into Storm's foreleg, the assassin proceeded to whip around and sideswipe the aviator's face with a kick. Shadow's world went dark for a moment, as he was sent flying across the road by the kick. Opening his eyes again, Shadow attempted to stand up, but a massive pain in his foreleg prevented him. The green assassin advanced, drawing his garrote from a belt.

Placing his other hoof behind the injured foreleg, Shadow took a single quick breath before forcing his hoof forward as hard as he could. A loud snap erupted, and Shadow screamed in pain. He only wasted a moment. Standing up just in time to properly avoid fully being attacked by the assassin, Storm managed to tangle his own hooves in the garrote, flopping on his back as he pushed attempted to keep his adversary's weapon away.

In his peripherals, he saw movement. The assassin with the dagger was back on his feet, running over towards Shadow. Raising his weapon hoof in the air, he prepared to deliver the killing blow. As the dagger came down, Storm jerked himself to the right, forcing the garrote wielding assassin directly into the trajectory of the blade. A spurt of blood splashed over Shadow, forcing a massive wave of nausea over him. He ignored it, pushing the lifeless body of the green assassin off of him.

The other assassin took a step back, obviously surprised and taken aback by what he had just done. A metallic clang and whipping sound from behind once again tripped Shadow's senses. Hopping into the air with a single wing beat, he watched from above as a long chain whipped forward and back again underneath him. Turning around, Shadow flew directly toward the assassin wielding the chain. Lashing out again at Shadow, the assassin flung his weapon forward. Rolling, Storm narrowly missed a direct blow again, managing to only have a minor cut on his body.

Pitching down and rolling to the left, Shadow flew under the chain, before rapidly pulling up and spinning. The effect rolled the chain around him, ripping his attacker off his feet and flinging him through the air. The assassin landed with a loud smack, smashing into a stall. As he stood up, the stall collapsed around him. Trapped, he struggled for a moment, but quickly gave up, biding his time until his allies rescued him.

Landing on the ground with silently, Shadow panted. If he had seen himself from the third person, he would even fear himself. His bandages were ripped and some of his wounds reopened. He looked terrifying.

Crimson Blade stood absolutely still, as his remaining acolyte took his place beside the master assassin.

Within the blink of an eye, Shadow took flight, barreling at top speed towards the nearest alleyway. Crimson Blade immediately gave chase, with his apprentice, not being a pegasus, remaining with his fellow assassins.

Storm focused on regulating his breathing, rather than where he was going. He just let the flow take him where it pleased, as he slowly slipped into the 'zone'.

'Buck.'

Skidding to a halt, Shadow swallowed a gasp of cold air. A wall lay before him, blocking his path.

Before he could think about flying over it, a massive object smashed into Storm, forcing him into the wall. Bouncing off, Storm landed nearby on the cobblestoned ground with a loud, sickening, smack.

Spitting out a mouthful of blood, Shadow made his way to his hooves again. He was beginning to feel the effects of all this combat.

Another blow came from his assailant, thrusting Storm across the alleyway into a collection of garbage cans. A chorus of metallic clanging and sickening organic crunching sounded out, as Shadow groaned. His vision dark and hazy, Storm remained on the ground, watching Crimson Blade advance, his blade readied.

Blinking, Shadow tapped into his last reserve of strength. His mind racing, he darted his eyes around his environment.

With a leap, Crimson Blade struck. Reacting quickly, Storm flung himself to his hooves, slinging an arm through a garbage can lid. Bring it up to eye level, he smashed the lid across Blade's face, forcing him back just before he could deliver the final blow.

Stumbling backwards, the assassin disengaged. Storm pressed his attack foolishly, and felt a sharp kick toss him through the air again. This time he smashed into a window that was boarded up on the inside, forcing Shadow to land back on the ground again in a rain of glass.

"Ugh… buck…"

Shadow couldn't help but voice his discontentment. He watched the assassin close in again. He seemed like he would never tire of this fight.

Flopping onto his stomach painfully, Shadow watched as Crimson made a grave mistake. Instead of his usual, leaping attack, he merely trotted towards Shadow. Storm bided his time, relaxing all his muscles, waiting for the time to strike.

Storm didn't even know what happened himself. At the last moment, he flew forward, propelled by his last ounce of strength and his wings. A shard of broken glass in hoof, he felt a sharp pain in his shoulder as Crimson's weapon caught Storm. Whipping around, he sliced twice with his makeshift dagger, before stabbing forcefully and flinging himself away.

Shadow was out of stamina. Landing a few feet away from his enemy, he flopped along the alleyway limply, sliding to a stop.

He watched as Crimson turned towards him. Shadow's vision was clouded, but he could see well enough. His expression was odd, and disturbing. A look of terror and surprise was upon him. With a thud, he crumpled to the ground, the glass shard still protruding from his neck.

Coughing up blood, Shadow attempted to stand. He couldn't. His muscles simply hadn't the strength. Slowly, he crawled to a nearby wall, as his vision blurred.

Forcing himself up against the wall, he stared at the form of Crimson, who lay lifeless and unmoving. Storm closed his eyes, forcing his emotions away. As he opened them slowly, he felt himself slipping away. A flutter of words crossed his tongue, as he slumped into unconsciousness. A line from an old movie he had seen had popped into his head, seeming appropriate:

"Requiescat…" Storm murmured silently, coughing up more blood, "in pace…"


	21. Chapter 21: Where is he?

**Author's Note**

Hello, hello, hello! (If only I could place a Jim Carrey GIF here...)

Will here. Sorry for the lack of updates in Vengeance and Rising. I've been really busy and have fallen so far behind FF schedule its impossible. I have Drill and Band Comp coming up so unfortunately, stuff will still be sparratic at best, but such is the life of myself.

Signed,

_William Sable_

**Chapter 21: Where is he?**

"Where is he?"

Silverhoof smiled smugly. Looking out over the city that was now essentially his, he remained motionless.

"Where is he damn it?"

Turning around slowly, he chuckled, responding, "Ah, Major, how delightful to see you. On what grounds do you grace my office?"

"You know damn well why!" Spitfire shouted, storming across the office.

Puckering his lips and narrowing his eyes, Silverhoof retorted, "No, I don't think I do."

A creak at the door caught both Silverhoof's and Spitfire's eyes, causing them to glance at the entrance. A unicorn agent in a grey suit entered, levitating a platter in front of him.

"Ah, it appears you're just in time for tea," Silverhoof noted, watching the agent move toward the desk, "Why don't you join me, and we can figure out your problems?"

Silverhoof knew what was coming next. A he watched Spitfire's hoof fly out, smashing into the hovering platter. A rain of hot tea and shards of flew across the room. As the clatter settled and the tea hit the rug, the agent let out a defeated sigh.

"Apologies sir, I'll have this cleaned up ASAP," he stated in a sad tone.

"It's alright… the Major here is just a bit… emotional," the Director said, grinning slyly.

Opening one of the drawers in his desk, the director produced his ever emptying bottle of sherry once again.

"Are you sure you don't want any?" he asked once again, raising an eyebrow.

"Enough with the bullshit Silverhoof! Where is he?"

"You keep saying where is he, but have been rather moot on who _he_ is," Silverhoof stated before swigging a glass of sherry back.

Glass in hoof, Silverhoof stared down Spitfire. The sheer rage in her eyes was unimaginable. Her chest heaved in and out, as she breathed angrily and heavily.

"Where. Is. Captain. Armor?" she muttered, her voice dark and filled with malice.

"Ah, yes, Captain Armor. Truly a sad situation he is in," Silverhoof commented, placing his empty glass down on the scarlet desk in front of him.

"If you killed him-"

"Don't flatter yourself," Silverhoof interrupted, "Or him. No, the Captain was found poking around in some restricted files regarding one former Captain Storm, the Wonderbolts, the ESS and myself. An odd combination, wouldn't you agree?"

Spitfire opened her mouth to respond, only to close it immediately. To her surprise, the sound of flutes and drums filled her ears. Frowning, she merely stared at Silverhoof. The Director still smiled evilly.

"Come, take a look, Major," he said quietly, motioning toward the window.

The mare eyed Silverhoof cautiously before moving to the window beside him. Looking out, she felt a cold chill run up her spine. The sight before her was breath taking, awe inspiring, and terrifying all in the same instant:

The entire courtyard in front of the ESS Spire was now covered in a mass of black and red uniformed ponies, all carrying large grey weapons.

"This is what you fail to see Major. What you, Armor… even your precious Storm."

Her eyes still fixed on the formation below, Spitfire growled, "I can see it clear as day."

"No, you can't."

Moving away from the window, Silverhoof began to pour himself another glass of sherry.

"What you fail to see," he explained, placing the bottle back on the desk with a dull thud, "Is the changes going on in society. We are entering a new age Major. You and Armor may have your place in it, but Storm… Storm is a different kind of soldier."

"Don't talk about Hotshot like that. He's a damn good soldier, and you know it," Spitfire snapped, whipping her gaze to the Director.

"Too good. That's why his usefulness ran its course."

Raising an eyebrow curiously, Spitfire took one last glance at the show of force below, before walking towards the Director slowly.

"Explain."

Chuckling, Silverhoof backed away around his desk, saying "Storm is an old soul. He believes in honour, chivalry, and duty."

"Anypony in the military has to, it's our code," Spitfire responded, frowning.

"Ah yes, but Storm holds these values most highly, and to the most literal extent. His duty to the crown forces him to fight the ESS. Your duty does too, but you have much to lose."

"Everypony does."

"That's where you're wrong. You don't know your Captain Storm as much as you'd like to believe…"

Silverhoof trailed off ominously, turning to admire the large portrait of himself hung upon the wall.

"Storm has nothing to lose," he continued after a few seconds, "He has alienated his family, friends, everypony. Well… except one pony. And she is why he is being kept at bay."

"Dash?"

Laughing sinisterly, Silverhoof slowly turned to Spitfire. Only now did she notice a major change in him. There was something wrong. Something odd about his eyes. Something off about his mane… he was no longer himself.

"You are smarter than you appear, Major."

Spitfire felt another wave of cold shatter her spine. This time, the feeling was much more intense, and caused by the odd look Silverhoof was giving her. Attempting to shake the feeling away, she shuddered, before renewing her question.

"Where is Armor?"

Silverhoof turned around again, staring at the portrait of himself. The likeness was uncanny, though Silverhoof's portrait was in a much more regal looking position, wearing a very fancy looking, bright red dress uniform.

"He's been temporarily relieved of command until his background check can be cleared by the Equestrian Secret Service… I do hope it doesn't take too long…"

Sighing, Spitfire drooped her head.

"So that's it? Just relieve everyone who ever questioned you of duty?"

"I'm afraid so. Now I'd suggest vacating the premises. We wouldn't want anyone getting any ideas about ulterior motives…"

Silverhoof moved swiftly to his desk, pressing a small red button.

"Would we?" he added ominously.

Spitfire turned to see the door now open, with two black suited agents standing in the doorway, staring at her. Moving past them, Spitfire resisted the urge smash both of their faces, content with glaring at them until they shirked under her intense gaze.

"Good day, Major," Silverhoof shouted as Spitfire left.

With his parting words, Silverhoof nodded to his agents. The two slammed the door shut behind them, and moved on, tailing Spitfire in a very obvious manner. As the Wonderbolt Major opened the door to the stairs, she took one last glance back at the doors to the office. There was now an air about the entire ESS that wasn't there before; an air of confidence and malice.

Descending the stairs, the sound of military music filled her ears once again. Now she recognized the tune. In fact, she recognized it too well.

* * *

"Do you, Shadow Storm, swear your allegiance to the RAF, and her majesty Princess Celestia, and all of her successors?"

"I vow to thee, my country, all earthly things above."

"Do you swear your whole self into the service?"

"Entire and whole and perfect, the service of my love."

"Do you swear to follow the RAF into battle, no matter what be the price?"

"By the love that asks no question, the love that stands the test, I do."

"Do you swear to defend the land, from any and all threats?"

"From any foe or assaulter, all of them I will best."

"Will you keep yourself as a paragon of virtue for the rest of your days?"

"By the love that never falters, the love that pays the price."

"Will you be willing to lay down your life for the good of all ponykind?"

"By the love of my service; the love that makes undaunted the final sacrifice."

_The Final Sacrifice…_


	22. Chapter 22: Darkness and Revelation

**Chapter 22: Darkness and Revelation**

"Welcome to the RAF Lieutenant Storm."

"Thank you sir."

Taking a pace backward, Shadow saluted the General. Watching the officer's hoof come up and back down, Storm dropped his salute as well. With a right turn, he marched off, back to the Drum Major in front of the band.

"Permission to fall in?"

"Fall in, congrats," the Drum Major responded with a grin.

With another right turn, Shadow marched around the formation and back into place, bending down to retrieve his instrument.

* * *

"Will he live?"

"Yes, he's lost a lot of blood however. I'm just a field agent, I'm not a medic or doctor. I've done all I can. Give him time and he should pull through."

"Of that, I have no doubts. Captain Storm has terrible luck, but a touch of fate about him. He'll live."

"I wish I could share your confidence Sir."

Shadow opened his eyes slowly, hearing the voices. Everything was hazy, dark, sharp and bright at the same time. He felt as if he had a massive knife burrowing into his forehead, yet he felt peaceful. The feeling was unnerving.

What was more unnerving, however, was Storm's lack of control over his limbs. He couldn't move, he couldn't breathe, and he couldn't speak. It took enormous effort to even wiggle his hoof slightly.

The figures standing over him were terrifying. Their sharp outlines were black as death, and their eyes glowed a ghostly teal. Shadow felt himself gasping for breath.

"What's wrong with him?"

"He's hyperventilating, I'll have to try and calm him. One second."

* * *

"Lieutenant."

Shadow saluted the Warrant Officer in front of him.

"What brings you to the Officer's Barracks, Warrant?" Shadow asked with a smirk.

The look on the Warrant Officer's face told everything. Shadow noted something slightly odd about his countenance.

"We received a message earlier this morning, I thought it would be best to speak to you about it personally," the Warrant stated.

Glancing around as other officers went about their business (some very obviously eavesdropping), the Warrant added, "Privately, sir."

With a nod, Shadow led the way, exiting the Quonset hut. Placing his wedge on his head, he turned to address the Warrant Officer. His colleague now stood beside him, headdress in hand.

"Lieutenant, I'd like to extend my apologies on behalf of the Royal Air Force for your loss."

* * *

"How much longer? We need him back in action. The deadline is fast approaching."

"I'm aware of this Colonel, sir, but he needs time to rest and recuperate. He's suffered some immense trauma."

"Is he ready to speak yet?"

"I'm not sure. He's yet to say anything. His eyes have flickered back and forth under his eyelids, but he's yet to…"

Shadow opened his eyes. Darkness. Cold. Everything was so cold…

"Sir, look."

"Captain, can you hear me?"

That voice… it sounded familiar. The tone…

"Captain, if you can hear me blink twice!"

That… voice… Who…

"Captain? We're losing him Lieutenant!"

"He's fine, he's stable. He's just drifting in and out of consciousness. Be patient sir, he'll be up and about soon enough."

"He'd better be, or we'll be all doomed."

* * *

"Are you willing to commit yourself to this program? Are you ready to sacrifice everything you have for Equestria?"

"I have nothing left to sacrifice. My life is now entirely in the service's hands."

"That's oddly macabre, Lieutenant."

"That's reality, ma'am."

"Are you ready for the test?"

"Test, ma'am?"

"Yes, the SOTRAC. Did you think this would be a mere interview?"

"I didn't know what to expect ma'am. You know that I have no prior experience within SOCOM."

"Well, the SOTRAC is similar to the standard EMIFIT. The SOTRAC is longer and with additional obstacles. It will push your limits."

"I'll clear it no problem ma'am."

"Really? We'll see."

* * *

"Wake him up now."

"But sir-"

"It's been too long, I need to speak to him now."

"Sir he's in fragile straits, if we-"

"Don't question my orders Lieutenant!"

"Yes sir, I'll try to rouse him."

Shadow felt a sharp pain in his side ping out like a dagger strike. Then in his shoulder. Soon, the pain was spreading through his body. He felt like death itself was clawing away his flesh, dragging him under. Crying out, Shadow felt his body run stiff.

"Stop!"

"Sir, I warned-"

"STOP NOW! YOU'RE KILLING HIM!"

* * *

"Nice run on the course there, Hotshot. You really showed us your stuff."

"I'm sorry ma'am. I was cocky, arrogant, and downright stupid. My hubris will be kept in check in my future endeavours. Apologies for wasting your time."

"It wasn't a waste of time. It was a test."

"And I failed it."

"Yeah you did. But that was the point."

"Ma'am?"

"Walk with me, I'll explain on the way."

"Way to what, ma'am?"

"Your inauguration. Welcome to the Wonderbolts, Shadow Storm."

* * *

Shadow shot up stiff like a board. Cold sweat poured down his brow. Everything was still hazy, though not as bad as last time. Storm let out a deep sigh. Staring at his hooves, he finally had control of his body once again.

Observing the room around him, Shadow felt his happiness tarnished by the unfamiliar surroundings he was now in.

"Now… where the buck am I?"


End file.
